Islander's Travels
by bookwormgirl69
Summary: Gon and Killua meet Mizuki, a shape-shifting teenage girl, on their way to Yorkshire. She joins them after she earns her Hunter license to explore the world with them. Along the way, she will experience many things: trust, courage, friendship, anger, and maybe a little romance. Rating will change to T soon.
1. The Shape-shifting Girl

**Hello everybody! As you can see, I'm starting a new fanfiction about Hunter x Hunter. I've been wanting to write this for a while but I was busy with school and another fanfiction. I absolutely love this anime, so I hope that I can do this story justice for the plot and characters. I've only watched the 2011 anime, and I've never read the manga. I'm sorry if I misinterpret or miss anything. Please correct me if I do anything wrong; I'm not afraid of criticism.**

 **Killua, Gon, and my OC are eighteen in this fanfic, but my OC is younger than them. Enjoy!**

* * *

"Gon, we're lost."

"For the last time, Killua, we're not. We're just taking a shortcut."

The white-haired former assassin sighed, his arms folded behind his head in a casual manner. "If this is a shortcut, we would have already been there by now. We've been in this forest for two days now, walking aimlessly."

Gon was walking in front, leading Killua to Yorkshire. He stopped and turned to his best friend, a pout on his lips. "I know exactly where we are going. The city's just a day away. Trust me."

Killua gave his friend a skeptical look then sighed. "Fine, I trust you. Let's keep moving."

Gon beamed. "Right!"

He resumed walking, Killua trailing behind him. The two teenage boys were on their way to Yorkshire City for the Hunter Exam. They were the examiners this year, so they had to get to the meeting place soon. After they got off a ship, Gon decided to use the forest as a shortcut. They would have already reached the Hunter Exam site by airship, but the islander wanted to stay on the ground.

The boys stopped abruptly when they heard a gunshot rang out throughout the forest. A flock of birds flew away, startled. A painful yelp echoed after the gunshot.

Gon twisted his head to the sound, a serious expression on his visage. "You heard that too, right?" he asked Killua.

"Yeah," he replied. "It sounds like hunters catching an animal. We shouldn't interfere."

But Gon only heard the first part. He was with Killua one moment and gone the next. The white-haired teen groaned and followed his friend. He quickly caught up to him as they sprinted to the sounds. Whenever Gon heard an animal in trouble, whether it was on his island or elsewhere, he would come to the rescue.

They skidded to a stop when they approached a group of men surrounding a cornered wolf. The gray wolf was backed against a cluster of rocks. Its ears were back and its tail was between its legs, but it still tried to look intimidating by growling. Blood ran freely down its left foreleg from the bullet wound.

One of the hunters smirked at the wolf. "Now be a good girl, and come with us."

"Hey!" Gon shouted.

The men twisted their heads to see Gon and Killua behind them with angry expressions. Well, Gon did. Killua had his usual composed expression.

"What do you two want," another of the hunters angrily said.

"You leave that wolf," Gon commanded. "It's done nothing wrong to you."

"Listen boys, don't get involved. You don't know what you're getting into."

"I don't care." Gon's aura intensified. "Leave the wolf now, or else."

The hunters all turned to Killua and Gon, their weapons brandished at them. "Fine, have it your way!"

The men ran at the boys at full speed. They didn't even go into battle stances, knowing that they could easily beat the hunters up. Within seconds, the hunters ran away crying in pain and bruised.

Killua brushed off invisible dust off his hands. "And there they go," he said, staring after their running figures.

Gon turned and kneeled in front of the wolf. It limped a step back, still apprehensive.

He held out a hand, smiling gently at the animal. "It's okay now. We won't hurt you."

Killua gazed at the interaction between Gon and the wolf. Upon closer inspection, he noticed that the wolf had purple animal markings on its face. A wooden animal bracelet dangled against its right foreleg. He also noticed that it had intelligence in its emerald green eyes. By now, it probably would've bitten Gon and ran away, but it remained where it was.

Gon tried to coax the wolf to trust him, but it wouldn't budge. It continued staring at Gon and giving side glances to Killua.

"Give it up Gon," Killua said. "It's obviously not warming up to you. That's a first, actually."

Gon sighed and stood up. "Yeah, you're right. I guess it will be fine on its own."

The teenage boys turned to walk away, until a voice spoke to them.

"Thank you for rescuing me."

The boys stopped mid-step and swiftly turned their bodies back to the gray wolf. Their mouths were wide open as they thought that they heard the animal talk.

Gon found his voice first. "Did you… just talk?" he asked, excepting it to be his imagination.

The wolf nodded. "Yes, I most definitely did."

The wolf slowly stood up on two, its body shrouded in white light. The boys watched, entranced, as it took on a human shape and radiated a lot of Nen. When it was done with its transformation, it revealed a girl the same age as them. Her skin was darker than Gon's. Her chocolate brown hair was up in a high ponytail, the end wavy. Her outfit consisted of a brown top with medium long sleeves and a brown skirt that reached below her knees. The skirt was open at both sides up to her mid-thigh. The ends of the sleeves and the skirt was stitched with fringes.

Her face still had the purple animal markings, but they practically covered every inch of skin on her face. The wooden bracelet made out of animal carvings remained on her right wrist. Brown sandals covered her feet. What stood her out the most was the furry wolf ears on her head and the curled wolf tail behind her.

Gon and Killua stared dumbfounded at the wolf girl.

Gon spoke again, excitement vibrate in his honey brown irises. "Sugoi! What was that? Are you some kind of Magical Beast?"

The girl giggled. "No, I'm as human as you. I'm a Specialist, and my Nen ability is shape-shifting into a wolf."

The tan teenager beamed even more. "I've never heard of a Nen ability like that before. That's pretty cool!"

Killua stayed silent, observing the girl. Even though she said she could transform into a wolf casually, he suspected she wasn't telling the whole truth.

The white-haired teen spoke up for once. "What is up with those ears and tails?"

"Oh." The girl touched the tip of her ear. "This always happens after I transform. They will go away after a few minutes."

Gon's eyes moved to her left arm where the bullet wound was, the blood dried now.

"Oh, I almost forgot! You're still injured. Let me heal your wound."

He gently grasped her shoulders and sat her down on a rock. He took off his backpack, rummaged through it, took out some bandages, and tended to her wound.

"It doesn't hurt, does it?" Gon inquired.

"No, it only grazed me."

"We didn't introduce ourselves. I'm Gon," he tipped his head to his white-haired friend, "and he's Killua."

"I'm Mizuki," she responded with a smile. "Nice to meet you both."

"Why were those guys chasing you?" Killua asked, leaning against a tree trunk.

"I was getting hungry, so I shifted to find food faster," she explained. "I guess those guys saw me and wanted to capture me."

"Why is that," asked Gon as he finished wrapping a bandage around her arm.

Mizuki looked away, taking interest in the ground. "I… I can't tell you."

Killua was about to protest on why she couldn't tell them, but Gon interrupted him. "That's okay. You don't have to tell us anything if you don't want to."

Mizuki looked up. "Okay." She stood up on her feet. "Excuse me. I left my pack behind when those hunters chased me."

Gon lifted himself off the ground. "Don't worry. I can get it for you."

The tan boy sniffed the air with his eyes closed like a dog. He opened his eyes when he recognized Mizuki's scent, which was a freshly-grown forest mixed with different animal smells, and followed it. Mizuki watched Gon with a confused look.

Killua walked beside Mizuki. "He always does that, acting more like a dog than a human being."

To his surprise, Mizuki laughed. "I can relate."

Killua raised an eyebrow. _This girl is really strange._

They looked up when Gon approached them, holding up a handmade backpack comprised of leaves held together with strong vines.

"Here you go."

She took her pack. "Thank you, Gon."

"Well, it was nice meeting you, Mizuki," said Gon. "Killua and I have to be on our way. Hopefully, we'll meet again."

The boys walked away but Mizuki's voice stopped them. "Wait. Where are you guys going?"

"To Yorkshire," responded Killua.

"We're the examiners for the Hunter Exam," Gon elaborated.

"Oh, really? I'm taking the exam." Mizuki's face heated up as she asked the next question shyly. "Mind if I go with you two? I don't know the mainland well."

Before Killua could open his mouth, Gon spoke. "Sure, you can tag along!" he exclaimed.

Mizuki smiled brightly. "Thanks again."

Gon and Mizuki eagerly walked ahead. Killua groaned, slightly upset at his friend for not consulting him then followed them.

* * *

The group decided to set up camp for the night. Mizuki made the campfire while the boys searched for food. After they ate, Mizuki laid her head on her backpack and fell asleep, curled up.

Gon watched Mizuki sleep with mild interest as he settled down to sleep as well.

"I don't think we can trust her, Gon."

The aforementioned person looked up at his friend, confused. "Why not?"

Killua crossed his arms. "Well, she barely told us anything about herself. I have a feeling that she's hiding some things from us."

"She has the right to Killua," Gon calmly explained. "We just met her. She can't tell us everything about her right off the bat."

Killua huffed. "I guess."

Gon laid down. "Don't worry. I sense good in her, otherwise I wouldn't have allowed her to join us. We'll be in the city by tomorrow morning." He then closed his eyes.

Killua gave one last look at the shape-shifting girl before falling asleep as well. The boys didn't bother setting up watch since they were capable of sensing their surroundings in their slumber.

* * *

 **And that's it for now. I already wrote the second chapter, and it should be up by next week. Please review and let me know if I'm missing anything.**


	2. Hunter Exam: First and Second Trials

**Hey everybody! I don't have much to say for his chapter, so enjoy! Once again, let me know if I'm doing anything wrong because I didn't read the manga.**

 **Disclaimer: I don't Hunter x Hunter, only my OC.**

* * *

The teens woke up the next morning, ate breakfast, and continued on to Yorkshire. Mizuki walked with the boys, Gon on her right and Killua on her left. Gon kept on asking Mizuki general questions, and she gladly answered them as long as they weren't too invasive. Killua listened to them prattle on, storing the information away for later.

Mizuki's sharp hearing picked up lots of noises ahead of her. After ten minutes, they emerged from the forest and stepped into the city's asphalt. Tall buildings surrounded the area and reached the sky. People with different clothing strolled about in a rushed manner, trying to get to their destinations. Vehicles drove up and down roads, honking at each other every five seconds. Mizuki restrained her hands from flying to her ears to muffle the loud noises.

Gon smiled brightly. "We're here!"

Killua sighed. "Finally."

Gon sent Mizuki a confused look when he noticed that she wasn't between them. "You okay, Mizuki?"

The shape-shifter stared at the scenery with awe, but a bit more apprehension. "Not really," she answered meekly. "I'm not used to this kind of environment."

"Well, we're close to the exam entrance, so we shouldn't be out here too long. Follow us."

Mizuki stayed close to the boys, tightly gripping Gon's shirt, as they led her to the entrance. Soon enough, they were in front of a regular-looking clothing store.

"Here it is," said Gon to Mizuki. "Just say 'DC' to the cashier and they should lead you to the exam site."

She stepped forward and turned to the boys with a smile. "Thanks again for everything you two. If I haven't met you both, I would've been in big trouble."

Gon smiled back. "No problem. Good luck on the exam!"

"Arigatou."

As she turned to leave, she was halted by Killua's soft voice. "Wait."

Mizuki did as she was told and twisted her head to Killua. "Yes?"

"We know that you're able to use Nen, but don't use it during the exam unless absolutely necessary or until the end if you choose to," Killua advised.

"Why not?"

"Nen is an ability that people learn after they pass the exam to prove they are worthy of being a Hunter. We don't want people knowing about it prematurely."

"Are you sure you should be telling me this," Mizuki asked, tilting her head to the side.

Killua shrugged his shoulders. "Like I said, I don't want you showing it early. And also," he shot her a smirk, "you're cool in my book."

Mizuki blushed a little at his smirk. "Okay. I won't. Thanks for the advice."

The shape-shifter left them and entered the store. The boys stood there for a few seconds then moved to another area where the other examiners were.

Killua gazed at Gon. "Do you think she'll become a Hunter?"

"She already knows Nen and it looks like she's powerful," he responded with a determined look. "She'll definitely pass."

* * *

Mizuki was lead to the backroom disguised as an elevator with her number pinned to her shirt. The elevator doors opened and she was in a dimly lit underground tunnel. The contestants looked at her with calculating expressions, examining her. She stood off to the side, away from the crowd. Her eyes roved over the people and she found out that she was the only female there.

She sighed. "There's still time left," she said to herself. "Maybe another girl will show up and I can befriend her."

Thirty minutes passed and only five men entered. A voice came over the PA system. "All contestants have arrived. Everybody, please board the airships."

A giant hangar door opened, revealing two airships. Everyone got up from their comfortable positions and walked to them.

Mizuki sighed. "I guess I'm in this alone."

She followed the men and entered one of the airships. Surprisingly, she was completely fine riding on a flying mechanical vehicle, considering it was her first time. She mostly stayed outside of the ship on a balcony, watching the city pass by and disappearing into the distance.

The landscape changed into a mountainous area. Plateaus littered every inch, creating small canyons in between. The airships landed on one of the plateaus and everybody filed out. They all looked prepared and ready for the first part of the exam. Mizuki stood up front, wondering what the first event going to be.

"Welcome to the first part of the Hunter Exam!"

Mizuki smiled when she saw Gon in front of the crowd. He had a huge grin stretched across his face as he greeted the participants.

"My name is Gon Freecs and I'm the examiner for the first round!"

At the mention of his name, the men around Mizuki started whispering amongst themselves. Mizuki listened intently.

 _Gon Freecs? The son of Ging Freecs?"_

 _I heard he's very powerful for a young lad. Powerful enough to be able to go to the Dark Continent._

 _And he's a Single Star Hunter._

 _He's almost at the level of a Zodiac._

 _Really,_ Mizuki thought. _He's all those things?_ She gazed at Gon with admiration.

Gon continued talking when the murmuring quieted down. "As you all can see, we are in a mountainous region with dozens of canyons around. The goal of this exam is to get across the canyons to that flag over there." He pointed to a tall, bright red flag about a mile away. "There are tightropes spanning across the canyons, and you have to use the tightropes to get to the flag. You've got thirty minutes to complete this challenge. If you don't reach the flag or fall off the tightropes, you will be disqualified."

Gon shot them a confident smile. "The challenge begins now. Good luck!"

He stalked to an airship with the Hunter's Association logo on it and it took off.

Everyone stared after the airship with incredulous expressions. It was silent for a few moments.

A guy to Mizuki's right spoke. "He expects us to cross canyons on tightropes?"

Another guy spoke behind her. "And in thirty minutes? That's impossible."

As the men grumbled to one another, Mizuki walked forward with determination. The guys watched her as she approached the edge. She put one foot on the tightrope then another. In no time, she was speed-walking on the thin rope with her arms out to balance herself as if she was walking on solid ground. The guys continued standing there, staring at her with their mouths agape.

But it instantly changed to shock when they saw her tip over. A strong gust of wind rose up below her and threw her off balance. Mizuki was stunned for a split second too, but she reflexively grabbed the rope with one hand before she could fall. She lifted her other hand to grab it then started bouncing up and down to gain momentum. Once she thought she had enough, she vaulted up and landed back on the tightrope with graceful precision. She continued walking across the rope but at a slightly slower pace. She stopped at times when gusts of wind appeared. She finished crossing the canyon in less than a minute.

Mizuki whirled around and yelled at the men. "It's okay. There's a net underneath that will catch you if you fall. Just take it slow and you'll make it."

She proceeded onward to the next canyon. The other contestants twisted their heads to each other, slightly scared but one by one, they slowly crossed over. Some didn't move at all, some fell off, and the rest crossed the first canyon. Of course, they pushed each other off to reach the flag. In ten minutes, Mizuki was the first to reach the flag. By the time thirty minutes were up, about 200 people passed including her.

"Congratulations on the people who have passed the first exam," someone said over the PA system on the Hunter Association airship. "Please get on the airships for the second part of the exam."

The contestants got on the flying vehicles, some of them with proud looks on their faces for passing the first part. Mizuki had a big smile on her lips, feeling accomplished.

 _This is going to be easy!_

From the Hunter Association airship, Gon and Killua watched the event unfold from multiple cameras. Their eyes were mostly on their new friend, Mizuki. Gon felt his stomach drop when he thought she was going to fall over, but he sighed in relief when she got back up.

He smiled proudly when she reached the goal first. "She's amazing. I'm impressed by her agile ability."

Killua dipped his head in agreement. "Yeah. I have no doubt that she'll pass the other rounds with flying colors."

"I'm glad that we met her. She's just like us."

"Mmmmhh," was Killua's only response.

* * *

Mizuki yet again stayed outside of the airship and watched as they flew over the ocean.

 _I wonder where we are going next,_ she asked herself.

After two hours, the airships landed on a beach on an uninhabited island. Everyone got out and faced the examiners, the examiners' backs facing a thick forest.

A young adult man with short black hair and a serious expression stepped forward. "Congratulations again on passing the first round. My name is Ren, and I'm the second examiner. The objective of this exam is to hide from us for three days. This island has clean water and plenty of food for you all to last for the duration of the exam.

"Each of you will enter the forest in the order that you completed the last challenge," Ren further explained. "Once the last person enters the forest, you all have fifteen minutes to hide before we find you. If you are found, you are disqualified. With that, will the first person please come forward?"

Mizuki stepped forward. She gave one glance to Killua and Gon before stepping into the woods.

 _I know Killua told me not to use Nen, but I think this is most appropriate to use it,_ Mizuki thought to herself as she stalked through bushes. _He did say I could unless absolutely necessary, and nobody's watching._

She felt her body shift as she activated her ability. _Let's do this._

Once the last person entered and fifteen minutes went by, the examiners searched for the participants. They split up individually to different sections of the island more suited to areas they were used to.

As soon as Gon went into the brightly lit forest, he started sensing several presences around him without using En. He approached them and caught them, all the while sighing internally. He believed that this challenge was trickier for the examiners than the contestants. He could sense practically all of them, but he had to restrain himself. He only caught the ones that made their presences obvious and left alone the ones that made an effort.

 _I wonder how Mizuki is faring,_ Gon thought. _I haven't sensed her yet. Maybe she's in a different part of the island or using Zetsu._

He looked up when he saw a brown rabbit cross his path further ahead. He squinted his eyes when he saw the rabbit.

 _Did I just see something on that rabbit's face?_ He shook his head. _Must have been my imagination._

He resumed seeking out the remaining contenders in his area.

* * *

Killua stalked silently through a different forest, the trees about eleven feet tall with twisted roots aboveground. The leaves and branches were so interconnected that moonlight barely penetrated through. Because he can go without sleep for a few days, he's the only examiner to search for the participants during the night. He easily caught the ones that let their guards down, and refrained from the ones that were adequately hiding their presences.

Killua groaned under his breath as he folded his arms behind his head. "I've already caught about fifty people. This is too easy and boring."

He gazed up at the full moon through the thick leaves. _I haven't sensed Mizuki since the beginning of this exam. She must be using Zetsu. Though I told her not to use Nen at all, she has to right to utilize it. We're not friends. Yet._

He moved his eyes to the right calmly when he heard leaves crunching. Because of the thick tree leaves, he couldn't quite see the figure well, but he saw the tail end of a wolf as it disappeared into the shadows.

He quirked an elegant eyebrow. _Was that Mizuki? It could be her or some other wolf. But I didn't sense any Nen from it, so it must be a regular animal._

Brushing off the disappointed feeling, he sighed and stalked to the next presence.

* * *

The three day time limit was up. The morning sun slowly rose up from the horizon, bathing everything in yellow light. The examiners stood on the beach, next to the airships as they waited for the remaining contestants to show up. One by one, they stepped out of the forest. The last one to appear was Mizuki. The boys shot her proud grins, and she beamed back at them.

Ren spoke up. "You all have passed the second exam. Well done. You will be allowed a day of rest before the next exam. You are dismissed."

Only 100 passed so all of them managed to fit into one airship. When they got on, Killua and Gon decided to board it to find Mizuki.

They saw her walking down a corridor.

"Mizuki!" Gon called out while running to her. Killua followed at a slower pace.

She turned around and smiled at them. "Gon! Killua!"

"We've been watching you since the beginning," said Gon when he was in front of her. "You're amazing, even without your Nen."

Mizuki blushed shyly. "Thanks for the compliment, but I'm nothing special."

"During the second exam," Killua asked, "the both of us couldn't find you. Were you using Zetsu or were you using En and avoiding us?"

The shape-shifter put a finger to her lip and winked cutely. "It's a secret."

The former assassin growled and looked ready to explode until Gon put a hand on his shoulder, placating him. "Mah, mah Killua. She doesn't have to say anything. She has a right to keep her secrets."

Mizuki tilted her head down, her face expressing guilt. "I really am sorry, but I can't tell you guys. There are some things about me that I can't reveal to anyone. I would like to be friends with you both, but I need your trust first before I can say anything."

The boys listened intently to her explanation. They looked at each other.

"Is it something bad," asked Gon.

"No. It's only bad if I say anything to the wrong people."

Gon gave her a reassuring smile. "Well, when you explain it that way, we understand. You can tell us whenever you're ready." He looked at Killua. "Right, Killua?"

The white-haired teen contemplated for a few seconds. He nodded his head. "Sure, whatever."

Mizuki grinned. "Thank you both for your understanding."

"You're welcome," Gon said. "But if you want to be friends with us, you need to hang out with us first."

Mizuki nodded eagerly. "Okay, sure!"

So for the rest of the day off, Gon, Killua, and Mizuki hung out. Mizuki tried her best to describe herself without revealing too much. Gon and Killua talked about themselves, but they also didn't say much. It was only fair.

* * *

 **That's it for now. I'm almost done with the next chapter, so I should have it up soon. Let me know what you think. Review please!**


	3. Hunter Exam: Third and Fourth Trials

**Hey guys! I hope you all are having good day. I don't have much to say, so enjoy the story!**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own Hunter x Hunter, but I wish I did.**

* * *

The next day, Mizuki found herself in a strange building. The participants were in a tall cylindrical tower, the ceiling way up high. There was a column in the middle and footholds on the walls surrounded them.

A male voice spoke from the speakers. "Welcome to the third phase of the Hunter Exam. I'm the examiner, Tamaki. For this round, all of you have to do is reach the top in one hour."

A burly guy standing next to Mizuki cracked his knuckles, an arrogant smirk on his lips. "All we have to do is climb these walls to the top? Piece of cake."

"You are disqualified if you touch the ground once you start climbing, or if you run out of time. Begin!"

Everybody ran to the closest footholds and climbed to the top as fast as they could. Mizuki was one of the few at the top, going fast but still thinking strategically about her placement.

She stopped suddenly when she was struck by a strong gut feeling. _Something's about to happen._

She tightened her grip on the footholds and pressed her body closer to the wall. Without warning, the column in the middle started spinning and so did the walls. The change in speed from zero to fast was so quick that most of the people flew off and fell on the ground, including the cocky burly guy. Others who flew off managed to grab footholds below their previous levels.

"Hahahahaha!" Tamaki cackled from the speakers. "You didn't think it was going to be this easy, did you? I'm impressed, though, that some of you managed to hold on."

Mizuki sucked her teeth, slightly frustrated. _How am I going to reach the top like this? If I let go, I'll just be at a lower level. And I can't stay here for too long or else I'll get motion sickness._

Already, some guys let go and fell to the bottom, their faces tinted sickly green.

The shape-shifter quickly glanced around at her surroundings before she got dizzy. She closed her eyes and waited for her head to stop spinning. During her quick scope, she noticed that the column was spinning in the opposite direction of the wall. The walls were spinning clockwise while the column was spinning counterclockwise.

An idea popped into her mind. She narrowed her eyes at the column. _Maybe…_

She tensed her leg muscles then jumped to the column's surface. As soon as her feet touched the surface, she angled her body higher and jumped back to the wall. She swiftly grabbed onto some footholds and stayed there. She smiled to herself when she noticed she was about a foot higher from her original position. _Yes, this could actually work!_

She continued her strategy, timing her jumps perfectly. After the remaining men watched her in amazement, they followed her example. Mizuki saw the square opening on the ceiling. With one final jump, she grabbed the ledge and pulled herself up. She finished first with twenty minutes to spare and was in an empty white room.

Mizuki waited patiently for the others to reach the finish line. She gave them medicinal herbs to help them recover from nausea.

Once the hour was up, the square opening slid shut. They looked up when the examiners filed out from a panel of the wall.

Tamaki spoke. "Ten of you have passed the third phase. Well done. Follow us to the airship for the final part."

Tamaki turned and walked to the panel along with Ren. The nine men followed with Mizuki last. Gon and Killua walked on both sides of her.

Gon smiled brightly at Mizuki. "We watched your performance. You were fantastic, Mizuki!"

Killua responded with a cool, approved look.

The shape-shifter grinned. "Thanks, Gon." She looked to Killua and gave him an innocent look, batting her eyelashes. "So Killua, you're the last examiner. Any chance you can give a friend hints on what the last exam is going to be?"

The former assassin smirked, a cat grin curling on his lips. "I didn't give you any leeway since the beginning, I'm not starting now."

Mizuki pouted. "Fine."

Gon chuckled at her cute expression.

Killua's cat smirk shifted to a gentle smile and he directed it to Mizuki. "Don't worry. I have full confidence that you'll pass my exam with ease just like the other trials."

Mizuki's eyes shone with reinforced determination at Killua's faith in her. "Then I won't let you down."

* * *

All of them got on an airship back to Yorkshire. The airship landed on top of a tall skyscraper. The examiners led the ten remaining contestants to a spacious ballroom. Tall windows lined the left wall and diamond chandeliers hung from the ceiling. The floor was checkered with black and white tiles and polished to perfection. A tall and wide oak desk towered over Mizuki. She, including nine men, were standing in front of the examiners in a straight horizontal line.

Killua stepped forward. "Congratulations on making it to the final phase. I'm the last examiner, Killua Zoldyck. This last exam will be one-on-one battles." He gestured to Gon who was holding a box. "Each of you will pick a number from this box, and that will be the order you fight in and who your opponent will be.

"The winner of the one-on-one battle will pass and become a Hunter. In order to win, you must make your opponent give up or knock them unconscious. If you kill your opponent, you will be disqualified. Now, step up to Gon to pick your number."

Mizuki, finishing first, walked forward and rummaged in the box, shifting the strips of papers around. She grabbed a random one and stepped back to allow the others to pick their numbers. She gazed down and a bold #9 stared back at her.

 _Looks like I'm going last,_ she thought. She smirked to herself. _Excellent. I'll give Gon and Killua a real surprise._

When everybody got their numbers, the people who had 1 and 2 walked to the middle of the room facing each other. The rest of them stood on the sidelines, and the examiners sat behind the wide oak desk to observe the matches.

"Begin!" a referee shouted.

The two opponents, a boxer and a kung fu master, rushed at each other as soon as the referee said the word. Mizuki watched, amazed at their strength and movement. They moved so fast that she could barely follow them. Even though they didn't know Nen, they were powerful in their own right.

The match ended when the kung fu master managed to suddenly appear behind the boxer and hit a pressure point on his neck. The boxer fell to the floor unconscious.

"The kung fu master wins!" the ref announced.

The master bowed respectfully to the examiners then moved to the side. A couple of other referees picked up the unconscious boxer and carried him away to one of many guest rooms.

The other battles went by swiftly. They weren't as good as the first battle, but she still observed. The shape-shifter was fidgeting in her spot since the first match. She couldn't wait to show Gon and Killua what more she could do with her Nen now that she had a little more trust in them.

As soon as the winner for the second to last round was announced, Mizuki dashed to the center of the ballroom with a huge smile plastered on her face. Killua and Gon smiled at her excitement. Her opponent calmly strut across from her with an arrogant smirk. He unsheathed two sharp swords from his back and dexterously twirled them in his hands.

"Start!" a ref yelled.

"I'll let you go first since you're a girl," the dual-wielding man stated.

 _Big mistake,_ Mizuki thought.

She smiled. "How gentlemanly of you. Thank you."

The teens leaned forward in their seats when they sensed Nen coming from Mizuki. Her body was once again shrouded in white light. The boys' eyes widened when the shape got bigger and furrier. They expected her to transform into a wolf again, but it didn't look like it this time. The other examiners and the swordsman watched in shock as the white figure continued to grow and take a more definite shape.

Out of the light came a big foxbear. It had the markings on its face and the bracelet on its right arm. The swordsman gaped up at the animal with comically wide orbs as it towered over him. Mizuki took in a deep breath and roared in the face of the guy. Her roar shook the room, rattling the windows and shaking the chandeliers. After she finished, the swordsman stood stock still, not even breathing. He fell back with his eyes rolled back to the back of his head. It was silent for a few seconds. Everyone in the room gaped silently at the foxbear while the animal had a guilty look on its visage for making her opponent faint.

The referee found his voice, breaking the silence. "Mizuki is the last winner," he stated, his tone quiet and a bit subdued.

Mizuki transformed back to her human form, brown round ears and tail on her person now. She grinned brightly and jumped up and down in joy. Gon shook his head and smiled proudly at the teen girl.

The other examiners, including Killua, were still frozen, so Gon spoke for his friend. "Now that the last challenger has won, the last phase of the Hunter Exam is finished. The other winners, please follow the referees to the lecture hall for your licenses. We will be there shortly."

Mizuki skipped after the refs. The men continued to stare at her in slight bewilderment as they followed. Tamaki and Ren walked after them while Gon and Killua stayed behind. The tan teenager looked to his friend and chuckled when he saw that the former assassin still had a surprised expression.

"You still there, Killua?" Gon teased.

Gon's voice brought Killua back to reality. He blinked a few times, rubbing his forehead. "Yeah, she just surprised me."

Gon laughed again. "Me too. She's full of surprises, isn't she?" He patted his friend's shoulder. "Come on, we better go congratulate the new Hunters."

Killua nodded. "Right."

* * *

After congratulating the newly-introduced Hunters and handing them their licenses, Gon and Killua packed up what little they brought and exited the building. Gon hefted his backpack onto his shoulders while Killua patiently waited for him.

The tan teenager smiled at his friend. "All set!"

Killua nodded. "Okay. We need to leave today if we want to catch the boat back to Whale Island."

"Right!"

"Killua! Gon!"

The teens turned to the building's door and saw Mizuki running to them. She stopped in front of them, panting lightly.

"Hey Mizuki," Gon greeted. "What's up?"

The shape-shifter, once she caught her breath, talked. "I just wanted to thank you two again for giving me my Hunter license." She took out her new card. The cover reflected the sunlight, showing the Hunter logo.

"You deserve it after passing the phases flawlessly," said Gon.

"Just make sure not to lose it because you can't get another one," Killua reminded her.

"I won't." Mizuki put her license away in her backpack.

Gon spoke. "Well Mizuki, we're off. Now that we're friends and Hunters, we'll keep in touch and maybe meet you in the future while we're on missions." He twisted away from her. "Ja ne."

He walked away and Killua followed after saying goodbye to Mizuki. She felt fear grip her heart as she saw her only friends walk away from her. Anxiety coursed through her veins, causing her heart to beat rapidly and her breathing to quicken. She was secretly frightened of being alone and out on her own in an unfamiliar environment. She shuffled her feet uneasily as she thought to herself if she should follow the boys or not. Her instincts told her to follow.

Mizuki ran after them. "Wait, you guys!" she yelled at them.

Gon and Killua whirled their heads to her. "What's up this time?" asked Gon.

The shape-shifter held her hands tightly in front of her. Her gaze was to the ground. "I wanted to ask you two something," she softly stated. "A request, really."

The boys glanced to each other then turned their gazes back to the girl. "Okay," said Gon.

Mizuki blushed a light pink. "I know that I've only known you two for a few days, but I already feel close to you both. I was wondering if I… I…"

She shook her head to shake off her nervousness. "If I can stay with you two for a while and travel the world!" she exclaimed.

The boys were taken aback by her request.

She continued talking when they didn't speak. "I don't know the mainland at all, so I want to explore the world with someone. You two are the first people I've met and trusted since coming here, so…" she looked up with pleading eyes, "please, let me stay with you!"

Gon's eyes softened. Right now, Mizuki reminded him of his twelve-year-old self; when he left Whale Island for the first time, not knowing about the outside world. Luckily, he found friends to be with, and a best friend that was constantly at his side to travel the world. He wanted to say yes because he can sympathize with her situation, but he knew what Killua's answer would be.

"I'm all for you tagging with us for a while," said Gon, "but I'm not sure about Killua. He usually doesn't let girls join our party."

Mizuki frowned. "Oh," she said quietly.

Killua gazed at her crestfallen expression. He looked away, an air of indifference surrounding him. In reality, he was looking away so that he wouldn't have to see Gon and Mizuki's reactions for what he was about to say.

"Mizuki can stay with us," he calmly replied.

Gon swiftly twisted his head to Killua, surprise in his eyes. Mizuki looked astonished as well.

Killua explained. "The only reason I don't like girls in our group is because most of them can't defend themselves or are disguised old hags." He muttered the last part with a grimace. "But you Mizuki, already know Nen and a Hunter, so you're able to hold your own. Because of that, I'm okay with you hanging with us."

Gon had a small smirk on his lips, but Killua didn't see it since he was still facing away from him.

Mizuki's lips stretched into a wide smile. Her emerald eyes sparkled. "Thank you, thank you, thank you, Killua!" she profusely said.

"But!" Killua sternly added before she could get any more excited. "You have to tell us everything about you. No more lies or half-truths. That's the only condition that I have."

Mizuki nodded eagerly. "I promise! I promise I'll tell you everything. Cross my heart."

Seeming satisfied, Killua curtly nodded. "Good."

Gon grinned at Mizuki. "Then it's settled. Welcome to our group!"

The white-haired teen turned and started walking away. "Now let's go, you two. We have to leave today if we want to catch the next ship."

"Right, we better get moving," said Gon, catching up to Killua.

Mizuki caught up as well, her in between the boys again with Killua on her left and Gon on her right.

"But, can we stop for a quick bite to eat," Gon sheepishly asked. "I'm kind of hungry."

"I'm getting hungry too," Mizuki added.

Killua's stomach lightly growled when his friends voiced their hunger. He sighed. "I guess it wouldn't hurt to stop for a quick lunch. It's past lunchtime anyway."

Mizuki and Gon cheered. The islander hurriedly ran to the nearest café to get them an outside table in a beautifully decorated patio. As soon as Mizuki and Killua sat down, a waitress handed them menus. The shape-shifter scrunched her eyebrows together in confusion at the menu. There were so many food items she never seen or heard of, she didn't know if they would taste good or not.

"What are you getting, Mizuki?" Gon asked.

"I've never seen food like these before," she replied. She closed the menu and slid it to the center of the table. "You can pick something for me."

Gon glanced quickly at the menu. "Would a chicken sandwich with a side of fries be okay with you?"

She shrugged. "Sure."

When the waitress returned, the teens placed their orders and patiently waited for their food and drinks.

"So Mizuki," Killua spoke up, tilting his chair back, "now can you tell us something more about yourself?"

She gave him a small, apologetic smile. "Sorry, no. There's too many people around that might eavesdrop, so I can't say anything. We need to be somewhere quieter."

Killua sighed. "Fair enough."

The waitress came back with their food and drinks. Gon dug in with vigor while Killua ate with more class. Mizuki hesitantly munched on her food, and when she deemed it delicious, she happily ate it. She asked the boys for pieces of their food to try them, and she enjoyed the taste as well.

She laid her head down on the table when her stomach was finally filled. Gon had a happy grin on his face as he patted his belly. Killua was the only one not finished as he was currently eating a slice of chocolate fudge cake.

Mizuki gave the dessert a curious glance. "What is that?" she asked the white-haired teen.

"A chocolate fudge cake," he replied.

"Can I have a bite? I've never had 'chocolate' or 'fudge' before." She tested the unfamiliar words on her tongue.

Killua choked on his cake. He stared at Mizuki in disbelief. "You've never heard of chocolate?"

The shape-shifter shook her head. "No."

"You're a girl, and you've never had or heard of chocolate?" He slid his plate to her. "Try it, then. It's a crime not to try chocolate of any variety."

Gon scoffed at Killua's infamous passion for sweets as Mizuki took her fork and picked off a small piece. She tentatively put it in her mouth, and her cheeks bloomed rosy red at the taste. It was slightly bittersweet but mostly sweet. The chocolate was still warm, so it melted in her mouth instantly.

She licked her lips. "It's delicious! Can I have more?"

Gon was about to say that Killua never shared his sweets, but he was surprised yet again for the second time that day by Killua's response.

"Sure," said Killua.

They ended up eating the cake together and finishing it in no time. Gon quirked an eyebrow at his best friend. He's never been so compliant with a girl before besides Alluka. She shrugged his shoulder and brushed off the idea. Maybe he was treating her like this because she's a Hunter like them now.

The boys paid for the lunch since Mizuki didn't have any money on her. The teens set off to the nearest port city to go to Whale Island for a well-deserved rest.

 **And that's it for now! The only reason the swordsman was defeated so easily is because he has a secret phobia of foxbears. I'm going to have to take a little break for now because I have an important test coming up. I'll probably update during my spring break, so look forward to that. Review please!**


	4. Adventure at Sea

**Hey guys! As promised, here's another update of my story since it is spring break for me. I hope you enjoy it. I can't be sure when the next update will be because it is the halfway point of my semester, meaning that my classes will be more rigorous, but I will try my best. Wish me luck!**

 **P.S The captain doesn't have an actual name, so I gave him one. I call him Arashi, meaning "storm" or "tempest" in Japanese.**

 **P.S.S I don't know anything about ships other than from watching Assassin's Creed: Black Flag, so please don't hate me. If you know anything, let me know. It would be interesting and educational for me.**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own Hunter x Hunter.**

* * *

The teens arrived at a small port city, the same city the boys arrived in before the Hunter Exam. Although the city was small, there was a lot of activity going on. Fishermen were scattered across the docks, boats of all sizes and designs floated on the calm water. Seagulls cawed and hovered overhead, trying to pick up any unattended fish. Mizuki awed at the hustle and bustle of the fishing city. She breathed in the salty air from the ocean and exhaled contently.

"Do you see the ship anywhere Gon," Killua asked.

Gon's eyes roved over the docks before he pointed at a ship. "It's that one."

To Mizuki, all of the big ships looked the same but she trusted Gon and followed the boys. They boarded the ship, and Mizuki immediately ran to the railing. She leaned over the edge and gazed down at the frothing water lapping against the hull of the ship.

"I've never been on a ship before," she commented. "It's wonderful."

"Don't lean too far, Mizuki, or else you'll fall over," Gon scolded gently as he gripped her shirt and pulled her back a bit.

"How did you get to the mainland then?" asked Killua as he leaned against the railing.

"I swam," she simply answered.

Killua didn't ask further questions, knowing that she was going to tell him soon anyway. As she and Gon were talking, Killua gazed over his shoulder and found a couple of men giving Mizuki perverted looks.

He didn't know why, but seeing them look at her that way made his blood boil. He sent them a death glare and infinitesimally scooted closer to her. Seeing such a dangerous look in his eyes, the men scurried away.

 _That's what I thought,_ he mentally scoffed.

It looked like the ship was ready to set sail because a bell rang and the sails unfolded.

"Come on, you two," Killua stated, acting normal. "We can talk at the front of the ship where no one can hear us."

The group walked to the front and sat down, making themselves comfortable for the long discussion. The crew was busy tending to the ship and the roaring waves muffled noises, so it was safe to talk amongst themselves.

"Okay. Now, you can speak," said the white-haired teen.

"All right." Mizuki put a finger on her chin, a thoughtful expression forming on her face. "I'm trying to figure out where to start first."

"How about where you're from?" Gon suggested. "You said you didn't know the mainland, and you want to travel the world."

"Okay," she responded. "So, I live on an island far away from the continents, and it isn't charted on any maps so nobody knows it exists. I live there with my family and clan, the Anima Clan."

"Anima Clan?" Gon repeated questioningly. "I've never heard of a clan called that."

"It's no surprise. My clan has been living with nature and animals for so many generations that very few modern people know about us. We don't know anything about modern society, so we stay away, and there are barely any records of us."

"And that's why you want to see the world," asked Killua. "So you can learn about modern society?"

Mizuki nodded. "Yes, but I should explain further. You see, we used to live on the mainland a few years ago in a giant forest with another clan. We stayed within our territory, still separated from society."

Her face fell as she quietly said the last part. "But after a certain terrible event, my clan ran away from our home. We had to find a new one completely isolated from the continent to make sure the same fate didn't befall us."

The boys didn't ask any more questions about the event Mizuki spoke of. It put her in a depressed mood, so they didn't want to upset her more. Killua was still curious, but he held his tongue.

"What about your Nen ability," the white-haired teen asked, changing the subject. "You're able to completely shape-shift your body?"

Mizuki gladly took the change. "Yes. As you two probably figured out, I can shape-shift into any animal I choose. Nen abilities are unique to each individual, but in my clan, everyone's Nen is animal-related. It helps us survive in the wild."

"All of your people have the same Nen abilities," Gon exclaimed with incredulity.

She nodded. "Yep. For example, Manipulators can control certain animals, and Conjurers can create illusions of animals."

"And Specialists can transform into animals themselves," Killua clarified.

"Yeah, but it's more complicated. There are about ten Specialists now, and they can transform into one family of animals such as bears or cats. Then, there is a person like me born every other generation with the ability to change into any animal at will."

"Was it difficult for you to master your ability," Killua inquired.

Mizuki laughed. "You have no clue how hard it was. When I was training, I had difficulty transforming because I have free reign of all animals. It's easier for One-type Specialists because their shifts are very similar, but it was harder for me." She blushed light pink. "I kept on having different animal parts that I looked like a new species of Magical Beast every time."

Gon and Killua laughed heartily, holding their stomachs as they pictured the images in their heads.

"I wish I could've seen that," he breathed out while still chuckling. "It sounds hilarious."

Mizuki's blush turned redder. "It's not funny!" she vehemently barked. "It's still embarrassing to me now."

"Okay, okay," Killua snickered, struggling to breathe. "At least you've mastered it now."

"I suppose. Now, I can effortlessly change into any animal in a blink of an eye."

Gon gathered himself and wiped his eyes of tears. "Alright. So, why do you have those markings on your face and that bracelet?"

Mizuki caressed her cheek when the tan teen pointed out her markings. "We receive our marks after we complete our trainings of the four basic Nen. Depending on your ability and what animal you're associated with, the markings are different for everyone. As you can see, my marks are different animals because of my shape-shifting ability."

"Are they tattooed on," Killua curiously asked.

She shook her head. "No. We use a dye made from berries and liquid extracted from leaves that make the marks permanent.

"We have these markings to identify ourselves as members of the Anima Clan. For us Specialists, it's to help members of our clan differentiate us from normal animals, so they don't accidently kill us when hunting."

"Wait," Gon interrupted. "You still eat meat even though you transform into the animals that you eat? Isn't that uncomfortable for you?"

"Not at all. I understand your concern, but I need protein to get stronger."

"And your bracelet?" asked Killua, pointing at it. "Is it another thing that marks you as a member of your clan?"

Mizuki fidgeted with the object. "Oh, no. It's a gift from my parents on the day I left the island. They hand-carved it themselves." She stared at it with longing. "Every time I look at it, it reminds me of them and my home."

"You must miss them very much," said Gon.

"Of course I do, but I think they miss me even more. They had a child before they had me, but he died when an illness spread throughout the island at the time. When they had me, they were over-the-top protective and kept me sheltered most of the time. They didn't even want me to start my Nen training when I was of age because they thought I was too young and fragile. I'm honestly surprised that they allowed me to leave with them being such worry-warts."

"Were you?" Killua questioned.

"No. I started at the same age as any other kid on my island. At age nine."

The boys threw themselves back at her statement. Their eyes were wide and shocked.

"You started Nen training at nine?!" Gon exclaimed in disbelief. "We didn't even know about it until we were twelve."

"Really?" Mizuki asked. "Well, I guess it's no surprise for me. My clan has to learn Nen in order to survive, so we need to learn at an early age."

The shape-shifter smiled at the boys. "Speaking of age, you two were the ones that inspired me to take the Hunter Exam."

Killua looked confused. "We did?"

She nodded. "Yeah. I completed my training at twelve years old, and I heard from my animal friends that two boys around my age passed the Exam. I clarified it was you two by listening to some guys on the airship.

"It inspired me to train harder and get stronger, so that I may pass and meet you guys. And now here we are. Funny how fate works."

Killua smirked, pride welling inside him. He didn't pass the Exam the first time he took it, but he was glad that he could be a role model for Mizuki at a young age.

Gon was still hung up on the talking-to-animals part. "Wait, Mizuki. You can talk to animals, like really speak to them?"

"Well, yeah." She shrugged her shoulders as if it wasn't a big deal. "It's only fair that I can communicate with animals since I turn into them."

Gon's eyes sparkled. "That's awesome! I have animal friends too, but I can only understand them. I'm envious of you."

"You're probably tired from answering our questions, but I have one more, if you don't mind," Killua kindly stated.

"Sure. Ask away."

"It's the same question that I asked when we first met. Why did those bandits chase you when you transformed? It couldn't because of your ability alone."

"Actually, it is because of my ability, but there's more to it. In the past, the Specialists of my clan were captured and enslaved to be entertainment for rich people. Because of our rare shape-shifting ability, we were sold at high prices, and rich people would often collect us to make their own personal zoos. That's why they wanted to capture me, and why I couldn't say anything to you two before."

"Makes sense," said Gon. "Glad we came when we did."

"That is all I have to say for now, boys. If anything else comes up that relates to me, I'll gladly answer."

"Ah, there ya two are. And I see that you brought along a friend."

The teens looked up when they heard a deep, gruff voice. A man with a scruffy beard and a big, red nose walked to them while drinking a flask of whisky. Mizuki's sensitive nose scrunched up at the strong smell of booze and smoke wafting from him, but she tolerated it when she saw Gon and Killua give him friendly grins. He was a friend of theirs, she deduced.

"Hello, Captain!" Gon greeted happily. He turned to Mizuki. "This is Captain Arashi. He's a close friend of ours, and he occasionally lets us travel on his ship to the places we need to go. He was also an examiner when I took the Exam."

The shape-shifter smiled up at the captain. "Gon mentioned you one time. It's nice to meet you."

Arashi dipped his head. "Back at you, lass. May I ask why you are with these troublemaking boys?"

"This is Mizuki," Killua introduced. "She's a new friend of ours. We met her on our way to the Exam."

"Ah. So, you are a Hunter as well?"

Her lips stretched into a proud smile. "Hai, sir."

The captain had a huge grin. "Congratulations, Mizuki. You're very lucky to be with these boys. They rarely let girls join their group."

"Yeah, they said the same thing, so I'm happy." Her lips shifted to an apologetic grimace. "Also, I don't have any money to pay for this trip right now, but I promise I'll pay you back."

Arashi waved his hand dismissively. "You don't need to pay at all, lass. The boys ride for free too, but as payment they work on the ship along with my crew. Would you like to work as well?"

Mizuki nodded her head. "Yes! I'd feel bad not doing anything, so I'll gladly help however I can."

The captain jovially laughed. "I love your spirit, Mizuki! No wonder the boys took a shine to you." He turned to leave. "Gon and Killua will teach you the ropes."

Gon jumped up to his feet. "Alright, let's get to work!"

He grabbed her wrist, pulled her up, and dragged her to the mast. She was surprised by his action, but she giggled and ran with him. Killua stood up slowly and followed them while smiling to himself. The boys did as the captain ordered and showed Mizuki how to work on the ship. They taught her how to tie certain knots, how to fish, all of the workings of a ship. Gon introduced her to a skinny, shy crew member called Katzo. The tan teen explained that he saved him from falling off the ship during a terrible storm. She quickly warmed up to him, and they became instant friends.

For her first day on the ship, Mizuki helped Gon and Killua with their jobs. She mostly assisted Katzo, seeing as how he was a clumsy person. When night fell, she retired to her room for a well-deserved rest while the male teens finished up their work.

Killua completed his work early and went under deck to his and Gon's cabin. As he rounded the corner, he saw one of the male passengers standing in front of her Mizuki's door with a depraved look. His protective instincts kicked in as he saw the older man reach out his hand to the doorknob. He was behind the guy in a flash and karate-chopped the back of his neck.

The pervert was knocked out before he knew what happened. Killua caught his body before he could fall to the floor and dragged his body to a random storage room.

 _I don't know why I just did that,_ he thought to himself as he walked back to her room. _She obviously could have taken him down no problem, so I didn't have to step in. Now that I think about it, my body moved on its own before I knew what I was thinking. I felt like second nature to protect her._

He shrugged his shoulders. _Well, she's my friend and the only female on board. I have to look out for her. She can fight, but just in case, she needs extra protection._

He knocked on Mizuki's door. "Mizuki? It's Killua."

"Come in," she answered.

He placed his hand on the knob and found that it turned easily when he twisted it.

 _She left it unlocked_ , he contemplated with an eye roll. _I guess it's understandable. She lived on an island and they don't have locks._

"Hey, Killua!" She greeted happily when he stepped in. "What's up?"

 _No need to tell her what might have happened now that she's not in trouble._ "I wanted to make sure that you were settling in fine. I also wanted to offer you a space in our cabin," he nonchalantly added. "We have an extra bed in our room, so it can be like a sleepover."

Her emerald eyes glittered. "A sleepover? I'd love to! But, what about my room?"

"You can still keep it. You're just sleeping over for one night."

 _Hopefully not,_ he silently added.

"Okay."

She got up from bed and walked past Killua to his room.

He internally sighed. _Thank goodness she's innocently oblivious as Gon._

He followed after her and slept peacefully, knowing that she was safe with them.

* * *

For the rest of the voyage to Whale Island, Killua made sure to be by Mizuki's side at all times. If he wasn't able to, he'd make sure Gon was. He noticed that all of the passengers were giving her perverted looks that made him furious. They also tried to get close to her, so he stayed with her to make sure they didn't come within ten feet of her. He was glad that the crew didn't come on to her. He didn't want to hurt them, and get on Arashi's bad side.

When he asked Gon to watch her when he wasn't around, the tan teen happily obliged. He looked carefree on the outside, but Killua knew that Gon knew the reason why he asked that of him. He could always depend on his best friend to get his hidden messages.

On the fourth night, the last night of the trip, Killua was pulling up the sail to half-sail. Mizuki was a bit farther away tightening the rigging.

The captain approached her. "Hello, Mizuki my dear. Can you please get more rope below deck for the mast?"

The shape-shifter saluted Arashi. "Of course, captain."

Killua watched her go as he finished pulling the sail. Off to the corner of his eye, he saw a big guy observing Mizuki closely. As soon as she went under, the guy went under too from the other side.

Killua growled under his breath, his Nen flaring. _Oh no, you don't._

Gon was too busy, so he had to protect her. He quickly tied the rope to a post and silently followed Mizuki. He didn't interact with her. He stayed to the shadows while using Zetsu as he watched her grab more rope. He tailed her to the cabin corridor, staying behind the corner.

The big guy from before stood in the middle of the hallway and blocked Mizuki's way.

She stopped in front of him and innocently smiled. "Hello. May I help you with something?"

The big guy snickered. "Yes, you may little lady. Would you like to play with me?" He snickered more at his innuendo.

Unfortunately, she didn't pick up on it. She tilted her head to the side, acting innocent. "'I'm sorry sir, but I don't know what you mean."

The guy was shocked for a second then laughed boisterously. Killua slapped his hand on his forehead and rolled his eyes heavenward at her naiveté.

He turned back to the confrontation when he sensed more men come out of the rooms and circling Mizuki.

"Hey Katashi, did you get the girl yet," one of the lechers said openly.

"No, not yet. But get this, she doesn't have any clue what I'm talking about."

The men chuckled at her. "Aww, that's adorable," one of them commented.

Mizuki scowled at them. "I don't appreciate your teasing when I am standing right here. Now please, step aside."

One of the men behind her took a step to her. "Come on, little lady. We just want to have a little fun with you."

He made the terrible mistake of grabbing her left wrist. Killua's bloodlust instantly flared, breaking his Zetsu for a second. He transformed his hand into a claw and was ready to kill the men in cold blood until Mizuki moved first.

As soon as his hand touched her skin, her right hand latched on to his wrist, and she tightened her grip like a vice. The lecher's wrist instantly broke with a loud crack.

He let out a scream of pain and withdrew his hand, holding his injured hand to his chest. The men around Mizuki stepped back, slightly scared. Killua went back into Zetsu and watched her as he sensed her Nen flaring dangerously.

She spoke with a calm, demanding tone. "That was your last warning. Let me through, or else."

"You bitch!" The big guy yelled, charging at her. "You'll pay for that!"

Mizuki stood her ground. He threw a punch at her, but she blocked it with her hand effortlessly. The guy watched in disbelief as she grabbed his arm and flipped him over her head. He crashed onto one of his pals, both of them unconscious on the floor.

Two men in front of her glared angrily at her. "Who do you think you are?"

They dashed at her, their arms back and fists ready to punch her. She was a step ahead of them. Killua barely saw her hand move when she pressed their pressure points on their necks as they passed her. They fell to the floor asleep.

The guy with the broken wrist stared at his friends and Mizuki in fright. His body started sweating and shaking. She turned to him, waiting to see what he will do.

He put up his normal hand in defense. "Pl-pl-please don't kill me!" he stuttered. "Have mercy on me!"

Mizuki frowned. "I'm not going to kill you," she casually responded. "I didn't kill your friends, either. They're only knocked out. They'll be fine when they wake up. I'll spare you, but only if you and your friends don't bother me again."

He vigorously nodded his head. "I promise! I promise!"

The shape-shifter nodded. "Good. Now go."

Not wanting to anger her further, he somehow gathered his pals and ran away from her. She sighed and continued to the top deck.

Killua trailed after her quietly. He internally praised her for her natural strength. He was so highly impressed by her agility and strength that he watched her fight in total fascination. He watched from afar as she handed the rope to the captain, acting indifferent as if nothing happened moments ago.

He approached her as she sat on the railing with her legs over the edge. He folded his arms on the railing and leaned forward.

Mizuki sent him a grin. "Hey. What's up?"

"Nothing," he simply responded. She didn't need to know that he was observing her. "How do you like the voyage overall?"

"I absolutely love it! It's not as much fun as swimming or flying using my own power, but it's still enjoyable. Everyone has been so considerate to me."

 _Everyone except those men that wanted to rape you earlier,_ he added mentally.

"I'm glad you're on good terms with the captain and his crew. Since you're accompanying us, we are going to need his ship often to get to certain destinations."

He didn't know what else to say to her, so he stayed quiet. She said nothing either, leaving the in comfortable silence.

"I know you were watching me when I was fighting those guys," Mizuki suddenly spoke up.

Killua gazed at her from the corner of his eye, a little surprised. "How? I was using Zetsu the whole time."

"Not the entire time. The moment that guy grabbed my wrist, I sensed bloodlust from you for a split second. I knew you were going to kill them, so I beat them before you could."

"Oh."

She wasn't wrong. Though he renounced being an assassin, he wouldn't have any problem killing those men for ganging up on his innocent friend. He wouldn't regret his choice.

"I also sensed you when that guy was in front of my door on the first day of our voyage," she included.

He stood up straight and gave her a frustrated glare. "If you knew he was there, why didn't you do anything at the time?"

"I was going to deal with him," she explained calmly, "but I sensed your presence and I knew you were going to take care of him."

"Then why did you act nonchalant when I talked to you after," he asked with his arms crossed pensively. "Matter of fact, why did you act innocent when those lecherous men surrounded you? You do realize what they wanted to do to you, right?"

His voice slowly rose as he continued talking to her. He didn't understand why he was so angry at the thought of her getting hurt. But more importantly, he was upset at her for not seeing the warnings.

"I knew about those men's intentions since I've stepped foot on the ship, Killua," Mizuki softly stated.

At her soft voice, his anger dissipated almost instantly. He gave her a look that said to continue.

"For this entire trip, I sensed that they wanted to do unpleasant acts to me. I acted innocent and oblivious so they could underestimate me, giving me the upper hand if they decided to confront me." She looked to him with a distrustful stare. "I'm not as ignorant of men's thoughts as you think I am."

Killua looked away when she glared at him. He felt guilt for accusing her of being naïve.

"You're right," he apologized in a solemn tone. "I'm sorry for thinking that of you. You're a woman, and you obviously know what men can do to you."

Mizuki gently smiled and rested her hand on his shoulder. "I forgive you. I'm not angry at you and Gon for protecting me. I'm genuinely glad that you two care for me so much to go to such lengths like that. I appreciate your concern for my well-being, but remember that I am a Hunter now and I can take care of myself. You said so yourself."

The former assassin sighed, scratching his cheek shyly. "You're right about that, too. Gomen nasai. I don't know what has been going on with me lately."

"It's okay. You're just looking out for a friend."

He chuckled. "I guess you're right." He smirked at her. "You were awesome when you were fighting those guys, by the way. I wish that you actually fought during the Exam so I could see your full strength."

She giggled. "That wasn't even a fraction of my power. I didn't want to kill those men, so I held back. Maybe we should spar sometime to test each other's strengths."

Killua smirked devilishly. "I can't wait."

They stayed outside for a bit longer, admiring the stars and crescent moon before retiring to bed.

* * *

 **That's it for now! I wonder if you guys can guess what clan Mizuki was talking about. Again, I'll try to update as soon as I am able, but you guys have this long chapter to keep you occupied. You'll be fine. Review please!**


	5. Whale Island Vacation

**Hey everybody! I'm sorry that I haven't been updating as much as I wanted to. My classes have been very stressful, and exams and work started piling up. Thankfully, I'm almost done so I should have time to write my stories. I had more ideas for this chapter, but I decided to cut it in half so I could update earlier. So, without further ado, here's the next chapter. Enjoy!**

 **P.S I noticed on my story traffic stats that the word count for each chapter is about over a thousand words, and keeps on adding for each chapter. For instance, the first chapter had over a thousand words, the next one has two thousand, and so on. Not this time unfortunately. I really thought I was starting a trend; I was pretty close this time.**

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The ship reached the small port of Whale Island in the early morning. There wasn't that many people roaming around, mainly fishermen catching fish for the expected morning rush hour. Killua, Gon, and Mizuki exited the ship with Captain Arashi following them, smoking a pipe as usual.

Mizuki turned to him with a gratuitous smile. "Thanks again for the transportation, Captain," she said, dipping her head.

Arashi chuckled. "Not at all, lass. You're welcome anytime."

Her sunny grin shifted to apologetic. "And, I'm sorry again for beating up the passengers. I know one of your rules is not causing any trouble or fighting." She confessed earlier to him how she had no choice but to beat up some guys in self-defense.

He dismissively waved his hand. "No need to apologize, lass. You were only protecting yourself at the time. It's quite alright with me." His lips stretched so far that his teeth showed. "Besides, it's their own fault for attacking a Hunter."

Mizuki brightly smiled back at him as a response.

Killua snorted under his breath, his arms clasped behind his head. _They deserved it anyway._

Arashi gave the boys a stern look, but there was a flash of paternal care in his eyes as well. "Now, Mizuki may be a Hunter, but I want you boys to watch her back, all right?"

"We will," Gon responded.

Killua shot the captain a small, confident smirk. "Count on it."

The shape-shifter felt slightly offended that she had to be protected like a weak child, but she knew that they all acknowledged her strength, so she didn't think much of it. A faint blush tinted her cheeks, the concern of others over her well-being warming her heart.

The captain dipped his hat. "Well, I must be on my way. Have to drop off a shipment at the next island. All of you stay safe, and I'll see you soon."

He boarded his ship, barking off orders to his crew. The teens waved goodbye and the crew waved back eagerly as the ship sailed away.

Gon twisted to Killua and Mizuki when the ship was just a black dot in the distance. "We better get a move on, guys. If we start walking now, we'll be at my home by mid-afternoon."

The teens began their trek up a gradual steep hill, the scene changing from concrete to natural wildlife. Gon babbled on to Mizuki about his home island: the people he knew, his favorite spots, and the amazing experiences he had while growing up in the forest. She intently listened with rapture.

As they came over a small hill, Gon's house came into view. It was a regular two-story building standing over a cliff above the ocean. A woman with orange hair was setting up clothes on a couple of clothes line.

Gon's honey brown irises widened in excitement when he laid his sight on the woman.

"Mito-san!" he cheerfully yelled as he ran to his aunt.

Mizuki and Killua smiled at each other then followed the tan teen at a slower pace.

The aforementioned person stopped what she was doing and twisted around just as her body was nearly thrown back by a powerful force. Gon held her up when he felt her tipping backwards, and nuzzled his face into his aunt's neck, taking in her motherly and homely scent.

Mito-san was stunned for a moment, but her brain switched back on when she recognized her son. She wrapped her arms around his lean, muscular frame, returning the embrace. Gon responded by hugging her tighter.

"Gon, I'm so happy to see you safe and sound," Mito-san said when she pulled back, giving him a tender smile.

He grinned back. "It hasn't been that long. We've only been away for a couple of months."

Mito-san looked over his shoulder and saw Killua approaching them. She shot him a warm grin. "Hello, Killua. How have you been?"

The former assassin smiled back, a light blush on his face. He was still embarrassed whenever people showed genuine concern or affection for him, but he welcomed it. "I'm fine and healthy. Thanks for asking."

Her gaze then fell on Mizuki who was somewhat trying to hide behind Killua's back. "And who is she?"

The white-haired teen stepped to the side, revealing Mizuki's whole form. She straightened her body, suddenly finding herself in the spotlight. She waved shyly at Mito-san.

"Kon'nichiwa. I'm Mizuki," she greeted quietly. "I just recently joined with Gon and Killua."

The orange-haired woman was quiet as she assessed Mizuki. Her eyes went up and down the shape-shifter's body. Sensing her scrutiny, Mizuki shifted her feet nervously.

Then, an uncharacteristic playful smirk stretched on her dainty lips. "Oh. Well, if you are with them then you must be one of the boy's girlfriend, right?"

The teens' faces exploded red at the romantic implication. Mizuki thought that she felt steam puffing out of her ears. They all shouted indignantly at Mito-san, denying her question at the same time.

"It's not like that!"

"She's just a friend of ours!"

"None of us are in a relationship with her!"

Mito-san laughed heartily at their reactions, causing the teens to stop their rants. "I know, I'm only teasing. It's very rare to see a young woman with these two. I just wanted to play around."

The boys heavily sighed, forcing their heart rates to slow down. They were not expecting this kind of attitude from Mito-san. Mizuki placed her cool hands on her burning cheeks to get rid of the blush.

"In all seriousness though…" Mito-san continued, taking a step back from Gon. She placed her hands on her hips and glared up at him. "You bring someone new to our home without warning me yet again, and I don't have anything prepared for her. I thought we went over this, Gon."

Gon ducked his head and scratched the back of his head. He chuckled nervously as he remembered doing the same thing with Killua when he was twelve. "Gomen nasai. It completely slipped my mind."

"No surprise there," Killua murmured under his breath.

Mizuki was the only one who heard him, so she giggled at his remark. His lips twitched at her gentle laughter.

Mito-san sighed, not at all surprised at her son's forgetfulness. "Honestly, it's a mystery you get by in the world." She picked up the laundry basket and walked to the front door. "I'll start making lunch. Gon, please show Mizuki the bathroom so she can freshen up."

"Okay," Gon answered as he followed his aunt to the house. He put his backpack down and turned to Mizuki who was putting her belongings away as well.

"The bathroom is upstairs, Mizuki," he said as he escorted her, "and so is my room. I'll run the bath for you."

He turned the faucets to the right temperature, steam wafting up from the slowly filling water. Once the bathtub was filled to the top, he stopped the water flow. He politely left her, leaving behind a fluffy towel on a towel rack for her.

Making sure that Gon was completely gone, Mizuki discarded her clothes and dipped her body into the hot water. She relaxed into the aqueous warmth, sinking into the water until her nose was above the surface. Living on an island, she always bathed in a river or lake, and it was usually cold. She never thought it possible for water to be hot, so she was immensely enjoying it.

She continued sitting in the soothing water for a few minutes before she moved again. She reached for a bar of soap and lathered her skin thoroughly, rubbing off all of the cumulated dirt on her skin. It has been a few days since she bathed so she did her best to clean herself.

She nodded to herself when she lifted her arms and saw that her skin was back to its normal tone. She grabbed a shampoo bottle and washed her hair, feeling the tendrils becoming smooth again. The shape-shifter stepped out of the bathtub, drained the water, and dried her body with the towel. She stepped out and found a new set of clothes put to the side that were her size. Mizuki smiled, grabbed them, and quickly changed into her new outfit. She was grateful for the raiment seeing as how her island clothes were the only ones she wore since arriving at the mainland.

Mizuki walked down the stairs to the dining area where Killua was sitting at the table, looking bored. Gon was nowhere to be found.

The white-haired teen looked up when he heard bare footsteps and his cheeks heated up at seeing Mizuki's new appearance. She was cladded in jean shorts and a purple tank top dotted with white feathers. His cat blue eyes were fixated on her hair. She let it out of her ponytail to air-dry, and it flowed down past her shoulders in waves and curls. The hair was still riddled with water droplets, so a few of them slid down Mizuki's neck.

Killua followed them as they disappeared into her shirt. He gulped heavily and hastily averted his eyes away before his thoughts could go anywhere inappropriate.

"You done with your bath?" he asked her, trying to keep his voice normal.

Mizuki nodded. "Yep."

She padded to the table and sat next to Killua. He kept his eyes away as she wringed her hair of any remaining water.

"Where's Gon," she asked. She sniffed the air for his scent, but it was a bit faded meaning he wasn't in the house.

"He left earlier to catch some fish," he replied.

They didn't say anything more to one another. The only things that filled the silence between them was the boiling of food and the clattering of pots in the kitchen.

Mizuki struck up a random conversation topic. "I was thinking I should cut my hair," she stated thoughtfully as she ran her fingers through her silky locks. "I'm afraid that it will get caught on something, or somebody might grab it."

"No!" Killua blurted out loudly, swiftly turning to her.

At his outburst, Mizuki stopped her action and gave him a strange look. "Why not," she asked, confused and a bit startled.

Killua's cheeks blossomed red at his response. Even he was shocked by his denial; it just tumbled out of his mouth without his permission. He realized that he was close to her face, so he quickly leaned back. He crossed his arms over his chest and looked away, his expression all flustered.

"Because… because," he stammered before clearing his throat and gathering his words. "You'll look more like a dude if you did that."

The next words came out of his mouth before he could stop them. "Besides, I like you with long hair. It makes you look cuter."

He clamped his mouth with an audible click when those words escaped. It was silent between them for a few moments, the quietness deafening to the former assassin's ears. His blood pounded loudly in his ears and chest as he glanced to Mizuki from the corner of his eye, waiting for her reaction.

She was deadly quiet, her hand still in her hair. She had a neutral expression, then it morphed into a cute smile. A light blush decorated her cheeks.

"Fine. I'll leave it alone since you like it so much," she replied. "I'll even keep my hair down from now on."

His heart beat faster at her cute grin. He didn't know what was going on with him or his body, and it frightened him a little. He wouldn't say he found these strange feelings unwelcoming though.

"I'm going to go take a bath," he said in a rushed manner.

He pushed his chair back and ran up the stairs, his face more flustered than before. Mizuki caught a glimpse of it, and she giggled to herself at his embarrassed state. She thought it was adorable that he could break his cool and calm composure in front of her sometimes.

Mizuki stalked into the kitchen to see if Mito-san and Obaa-chan needed any assistance in cooking the food. The orange-haired woman twisted her head to Mizuki when she poked her head through the doorway. "Oh, Mizuki. I see you're wearing the clothes that I put out for you. I'm glad that they fit you well. They look nice on you. Is there anything you need?"

The shape-shifter smiled back. "Thank you. I wanted to help you two make lunch. I'd feel useless not doing anything while you work."

Obaa-chan hummed. "Normally, it's considered rude for the guest to do any work, but we have an extra mouth to feed and two growing boys. There is more food to prepare, so you can help us cook."

Mizuki skipped into the kitchen and gladly assisted the older women. She expertly chopped the vegetables and artistically added spices to the meat like a master chef.

"You're a great cook, Mizuki," Mito-san stated with admiration. "Have you done this a lot?"

The teenager nodded. "Yes. In my home, I always help my mom cook breakfast, lunch, and dinner. She taught me how to cook since I was little."

"Well, maybe you could teach the boys," Mito-san teased. "Gon burns everything he cooks and Killua is too lazy." She shot a bright smile to Mizuki. "Or better yet, you can cook for them."

The shape-shifter blushed. "I wouldn't say I'm that good to cook for them."

Eventually, Gon returned with a few fish and the women prepared them.

"Do you mind if I add some of my island spices to the fish?" Mizuki asked, showing a small green pouch. "I believe it will give the fish an extra kick."

Mito-san smiled. "Of course you may."

While they finished up cooking, Killua came back down feeling refreshed, and Gon took his bath. By the time he was done, the table was laden with delicious-looking food such as fish, rice, vegetables, and more. The table looked more like a buffet table. Once the food was all placed and the plates and utensils all set, everybody sat down.

"Itadakimasu!" the boys yelled before hastily piling up food on their plates before consuming it.

Mito-san chuckled as she got her food. "Those two are nearly adults, and they still eat ravenously as if they are twelve."

Obaa-chan chuckled too. "Well, they are growing boys. Of course they'll have a big appetite."

"I know that Mizuki will teach them some manners," Mito-san replied.

The aforementioned person smirked as she chewed her food. "I don't know if I'll be much of an influence to them, but I'll try my best."

Killua hummed as he ate the fried fish. His taste buds sizzled with the new taste. "The fish is really good! Did you do something different to it, Mito-san?"

"Actually, Mizuki added her own spices to the recipe to diversify the taste."

She flushed as the boys stared at her in awe.

"I didn't know you cooked Mizuki," said Gon. "You're amazing as always!"

Mizuki blushed redder. "Thanks Gon, but I'm not that great. My mom's cooking is way better than mine."

"No need to be so modest Mizuki," Obaa-chan said. "Your cooking is special in its own way."

They all continued eating after praising her. The boys gobbled up the food in a frenzy. Mizuki ate slowly, but consumed just as much as her friends. She noticed that Killua avoided eating red peppers, setting them aside. She quirked an eyebrow wondering why he wasn't consuming them. They were her favorite vegetables. What was there to not like?

Once the food was gone, the teens helped clean the table and put the washed plates away. Gon grabbed Mizuki's hand and ran out the door with her, eager to show his home to her. Of course he allowed her to put on her sandals before dragging her out the door. Killua followed silently.

Inside, Mito-san shook her head, a fond smile on her lips. _Some things never change._

The teens ran all over the island, laughing and roughhousing like little kids. Mizuki got to meet all of Gon's animal friends, including Gonta the foxbear. Occasionally, she would shift into different animals to show off to her friends or depending on what activity they did. For example, when they jumped off a cliff into the crystal clear bay water, she transformed into a dolphin before crashing into the bay. The boys held on to her dorsal fin as she swiftly swam through the water.

"So, Mizuki. You learned Nen naturally? You didn't have your pores forcibly opened," Gon asked while wringing his spiky hair of water.

Mizuki nodded, giving a hum. She was sitting on the sandy beach, a dorsal fin poking out from her back and a dolphin tail flopping behind her. Killua sat next to her, trying his hardest to keep his eyes above Mizuki's neck.

"I gradually trained in Nen since becoming of age," she answered. "Once I completed the four basic Nen, I practiced the other forms like Gyo and En. I don't use En a lot though."

"Why not?" Killua inquired.

"On my island, we Specialists are not only trained by human mentors, but animal mentors as well."

Gon swiftly twisted his neck to her, his brown irises sparkling. "Really? An animal trains you?"

"Yeah. Depending on your transformations, an animal will teach you how to enhance your Nen ability and teach you animal instincts. We wouldn't be the beasts we change into if we didn't have animal instincts. With them, I don't need to waste Nen to locate people or objects. I can even sense people who are using Zetsu or In."

"Who's your animal mentor then," Killua asked. "Is it all of the animals on your island?"

Mizuki giggled at his question. "No. A Specialist like me can have any animal teacher, but only one. I have a wolf mentor named Katashi, so I mostly shift into a wolf because of him."

A nostalgic smile formed on her lips. "He's like a grandfather to me, so I call him Katashi-jii. He's been training me since I was nine. He utilizes Nen himself so he'll live longer, but he's getting pretty old. He's also very stubborn, so I know he'll continue training me and other Specialists until his last breath."

"Just as a fun fact, my clan possesses a special ability we call Primal Instinct," Mizuki added. "It only activates when we are in real danger. When we feel there is absolutely no way out."

"That's pretty cool," Gon complimented.

"Speaking of Nen," Killua spoke as the teens got up and wandered away from the beach going anywhere else. "Were you the wolf that I saw during the second phase of the Hunter Exam?"

Mizuki smiled smugly. "Yep. I went right by you without you noticing my presence."

"How though?" the white-haired teen questioned, arching an eyebrow, his tone puzzled. "You should have been emanating Nen while using your Hatsu. How were you able to suppress it? You looked like a regular wolf to me."

"I'm curious too," Gon added.

"What I used is a form of Nen that Specialists of my clan use," she explained. "We are the only ones to practice it as far as I know. Suppressing your Hatsu energy while using your Hatsu ability is known as Nyo."

Gon got right up to Mizuki's face, so close that their noses barely brushed together. For a split second, Killua felt a strange, strong feeling shoot through him at Gon's close proximity to Mizuki. He restrained himself from punching Gon away from her. Gon was his best friend, and it was normal of him to invade the personal boundaries of others. At the thought of almost hurting his friend, he clenched his fists tightly. Recently, he noticed that any guy that came too close to Mizuki, he would get super protective of her. When did that start?

Killua turned back to their conversation, realizing he was deep in his thoughts.

"Can you teach us it?" asked Gon. "Killua and I are Nen masters but we've never heard of Nyo. So, can you?"

The shape-shifter looked skeptical. "I don't know. It took me about two years to master."

"Don't worry," Killua replied. "We're fast learners. We learned the Nen basics in a few months, and the other forms around the same time span."

"Wait," Mizuki interjected. "When Gon mentioned about forcibly opening pores, did you two do that?"

"Yep!" Gon exclaimed happily.

A mixture of shock and worry crossed her face. "You realize that you could have died by doing that, right?"

"We knew at the time," Killua answered, reassuring her. He mentally recalled his training with Gon at Heaven's Arena when they first learned Nen. "We were in a hurry at the time, so we didn't have any choice."

"Can you please teach us Nyo, Mizuki?" the tan teen pleaded. "Pretty please?"

At his glistening big honey brown eyes, she instantly conceded. "All right, I'll teach it to you both, but after we leave Whale Island. We're supposed to be relaxing now."

Killua nonchalantly shrugged. "I can live with that."

Gon pumped his fist in the air. "I can't wait!"

* * *

The teens returned to the house as the sun was setting, the bright celestial body slowly being swallowed by the ocean. The sky was in various shades of pink, purple, and orange. A few glittering stars dotted the endless abyss. The group walked past Mito-san who was folding away clean laundry.

She twisted her head to them, a gentle smile greeting them. "Hello, kids. Dinner should be ready soon. Can you set up the table in the meantime?"

Gon replied with a smile of his own. "Hai, Mito-san."

A strong wind blew out of nowhere. A bedsheet flew out Mito-san's hands when her attention diverted to the young adults. She gasped lightly and tried to catch the sheet but another breeze pulled it out of her reach.

"Oh no," she said, her hand still outreached.

Before the boys could react, Mizuki ran forward. "I got it!"

As she ran, her arms were up and at her sides like a bird taking off. In the next instance, she took form of a broad-winged hawk. Her wooden bracelet couldn't stay on her right wing, so she threw it in the air and caught it around her feathery neck. She flapped her great wings to reach the fleeting sheet and caught it in her sharp talons. She was careful not to sink her talons in too deep to tear it or poke holes in it.

Mizuki flew back to Mito-san with the bedsheet. "Here you are, Mito-san."

The orange-haired woman took back the sheet, folding it neatly and placing it in the laundry basket. "Arigatou, Mizuki. You have an amazing ability."

Mizuki changed back to her human form, tufts of dark brown feathers sticking out from her cheeks, elbows, and ankles. Her long tail feathers were folded perfectly behind her. She smiled. "You're welcome."

Mito-san took a closer look at the shape-shifter's figure. "Is that normal," she asked, pointing to the feathers.

"Yes, they'll go away soon."

Mito-san picked up the basket. "Shall we go inside then?" she asked while carrying the load inside.

"Nice catch, Mizuki," the former assassin complimented.

"Thanks Killua," she responded. "Oh, that reminds me. You two need to constantly remind me not to use my Hatsu ability so freely."

"Why not?" inquired Gon. "It's so cool, you should show it off."

"You dummy." Killua said with a sigh. "Have you already forgotten? If anyone sees her transform, they'll capture her and her clan would be in danger as well."

Mizuki nodded her head. "Exactly. On my island, I transform frequently to get chores done, so sometimes I shift without thinking about it too much. That's why I want you two to remind not to do it so often."

Killua sent her a lazy smirk. "Sure. Wouldn't want any weirdos kidnapping you."

She grinned back. "Thanks."

After they all ate a hearty dinner and cleaned up the dishes, the teens got ready for bed.

"Gomen nasai Mizuki, but we don't have a spare bedroom for you," Mito-san apologized. "You'll have to sleep in Gon's room with the boys. I hope you don't mind."

"No, I don't mind at all," Mizuki assured the older woman. "I'm used to living with other people in close proximity."

"Really?" Gon asked while putting on a clean undershirt.

"Mmmm-hmmm. On my island, everyone lives in big homes that can house two to three families. We still have separate rooms for each family, but we share common areas like the kitchen."

"Well, if you're comfortable with the arrangements," Mito-san said. "If the boys do anything to you that is unwelcoming, feel free to hurt them. I won't stop you."

Gon and Killua flinched back at the orange-haired woman's statement. She had a bright smile as she said it, and the boys were internally terrified of her. She would beat them herself if she could. They were even more afraid of Mizuki hurting them since her Nen was on par with theirs, if not stronger since she learned Nen earlier than them.

"Don't worry, Mito-san." Mizuki responded. "I know Gon and Killua won't do anything to harm me."

"All right. Oyasumi, kids."

She left, turning off the light and closing the door. Gon, Killua, and Mizuki snuggled into their makeshifts beds, their exhaustion finally catching up to them.

"Good night, guys." As soon as Gon laid his head on the pillow, he was instantly knocked out.

Killua rolled his eyes upward. "Good night, Mizuki." He turned his body away from her.

She curled up into a loose ball, listening to Gon's loud snoring and Killua's light snoozing. She closed her eyes, a tiny grin quirking the corners of her lips. "Goodnight, Gon and Killua," she softly whispered in the night.

* * *

 **And that's it for now! Nyo is a term I made up, so don't worry if you are confused with the unfamiliar term.**

 **Here are the meanings of a couple Japanese words:**

 **Katashi= hard, firm**

 **Oyasumi= good night**

 **I have a week left of school, then summer vacation! Although I have two summer classes, I will try my best to update the next chapter soon. Thank you all for your support and continue reviewing please!**


	6. Through the Eye of the Storm

**Hey everybody! I am on summer break right now, so I should have time to write my stories. I am currently looking for jobs and taking two summer classes, so I don't know how it will affect my writing, but I will do my best. Anyway, here's the latest chapter!**

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"Have you ever played Janken pon, Mizuki?"

The female teen shook her head. "No, what is it?"

"It's a game where you use your hands to make rock, paper, or scissors against your opponent," Gon explained with a grin. "It's my favorite game, so I chose my Hatsu ability to take the form of it. Do you want to learn how to play?"

Mizuki eagerly nodded. "Sure!"

Killua lazily laid on the lush, long grass as he listened to his friends play the game. It was day two of their stay on Whale Island. They were currently out at an open grass field. His arms were crossed under his head and his cat eyes were contently closed as he soaked in the sun rays. A light breeze tousled his white hair. The corners of his mouth lifted when he heard Gon's groans of frustration and Mizuki's cheers. She picked up the game fast and seemed to be winning against him.

A shadow fell over his eyes when he felt the heat vanish from his face. He cracked an eyelid open to see if a cloud was blocking the sun, but instead he saw Mizuki's big emerald green orbs. Killua forced himself to stay down instead of jumping up and bumping foreheads with her. He ignored the way her long hair fell over her shoulders and her round assets.

He closed his eye. "Hey, Mizuki. Is there any reason why you are hovering above me like this?"

He didn't see it, but Mizuki smiled down at him. "Not really. I just wanted to say that I like the color of your eyes."

Killua's eyelids flew open at her blatant compliment. He gazed upon her visage to see if she was trying to seduce him or something, but she looked back at him with pure innocence.

He coughed, a light flush painting his cheek. "Why do you say that?"

"Because blue is my favorite color. I used to hate it because it reminds me of the ocean, how it surrounded my island on all sides and made me feel trapped. But now, I like it." She tilted her head up to the sky. "Your shade of blue reminds me of the sky. It stretches forever with endless possibilities in store."

Mizuki giggled, tilting her head back down to Killua. "I guess that's one of the reasons why I joined with you two. I unknowingly knew that you would give me the adventure that I wanted."

Killua's blush deepened at her beaming smile. He turned away with an embarrassed scowl. "Don't say things like that so casually. It's embarrassing."

She cocked her head to the side cutely. "Why? It's how I honestly feel."

The former assassin sighed heavily. He tried to slow down his rapidly beating heart. "You're just like Gon. Both of you say certain things without any shame."

She laughed. "We're honest people, I suppose."

"So, what do you guys want to do now," asked Gon, stretching his arms in the air.

Killua got up, Mizuki moving out the way. "We can spar. I've been feeling rusty lately."

"Oh yeah. I remember talking about it the other day," said Mizuki.

Gon beamed. "Sure! It's been a while since I brawled seriously. I want to go first, so who wants to fight me first?"

The shape-shifter hopped onto her feet excitedly. "I do! Can we use Hatsu? You guys have seen mine, so it's only fair that I see yours."

"Okay," Gon complied, walking away from her.

Killua stood up and strolled to a nearby boulder. "Remember not to go all out, Gon. You don't want to accidently kill Mizuki."

"I know." Gon cracked his knuckles. "You ready, Mizuki?"

She got into her battle stance. "Ready!"

Gon pulled his fist back and placed his other hand over it. Yellow aura encased his fist as he yelled his attack.

"Saisho wa guu! Jan! Ken! Paa!"

He thrust his palm out and a ball of intense aura shot out to Mizuki. She swiftly evaded the attack by transforming into a hawk and flying away. She flew above Gon and folded in her wings, diving down with her talons out. Gon jumped back just in time when Mizuki struck down.

A huge plume of dust erupted from her impact. She flew up out of dust cloud, unharmed. She shifted into a foxbear and landed in front of Gon with a thud. She stood on two legs and slashed at him with her sharp claws. He deftly dodged them and threw punches back to Mizuki.

She blocked them with her giant paws and jumped back, turning back to her human form. Sensing him gathering Nen in his fists, the shape-shifter garnered Nen in her hands too. They dashed to each other and traded punches, using Ko. They didn't go full force, knowing that they would break bones.

Mizuki feinted left and Gon took the bait. He left himself open and she gave him a right hook on his cheek, turning off her Ko. He staggered back, holding his bruised cheek.

Killua smirked. _Impressive,_ he thought. _Her combination of using Nen and normal combat is as great as Gon's and mine. She's even holding her own against Gon, and he's the strongest fighter I know. She's not only beautiful, but strong as well._

The last statement randomly sprung up in his mind. Blood creeped up onto his face. He shook his head furiously.

 _Where the heck did that thought come from?_

His friends were too focused on their ongoing battle to pay attention to his internal dilemma. Despite the growing bruise on his face, Gon grinned. "Nice one, Mizuki. Don't think I'll allow you to get another hit."

She smiled back. "I wouldn't want it any other way."

Killua, now back to normal, watched their brawl with bored interest for the next few minutes. He stayed at his spot, occasionally moving his head to the side when a stray ball of Nen came his way. He yelled out to them to stop and take a break.

"Alright you two, enough," he called out to them. "I don't want to explain to Mito-san why you two are covered in bruises."

Mizuki panted heavily, her wolf tail and ears out. "That was a lot of fun," she said with a smile plastered on her face. "We should do this more often."

Gon laughed. "I agree."

"Well, let's do that on criminals instead of on each other," stated the white-haired teen.

Mizuki ran to Killua, her eyes still alight from her previous fight. "C'mon, Killua. It's your turn."

He chuckled. "As much as I want to right now, I won't. You're exhausted and almost out of energy. Also, my Nen is too dangerous to use on my friends."

She pouted. "Oh? Is it really that powerful?"

"It's not that it's super powerful. It is dangerous in general."

Killua closed two fingers together and a spark formed between the space. He allowed the blue electricity to spread throughout his whole body, his hair standing up and moving. The air crackled and ionized around him.

Mizuki's eyes glittered in awe as he let the electricity go. "Sugoi! Your Nen is amazing, Killua! But doesn't it hurt?"

The former assassin shrugged. "Nah. It stings a little, but it's okay."

"Even I spar with Killua in normal hand-to-hand combat," said Gon. "He could do serious damage with his electricity, even with him holding back."

Mizuki's ears drooped. "Aww, I really wanted to see Killua's Nen in action."

The former assassin's eyes averted to Mizuki's tail. He got the sudden urge to grab it, to see how it felt and see how Mizuki would react. Before he could stop his body, his hand shot out and grabbed the furry tail.

Mizuki yelped and her body grew stiff. She whirled around and blindly struck Killua down with a clenched fist. She put so much force into the attack that he broke through the boulder he was sitting on, destroying it into tiny pebbles and rocks. Killua laid still in the rubble.

Gon's mouth hung open as Mizuki glared down at Killua's unmoving body. "Don't just grab my tail out of nowhere," she growled, hands on her hips. "It's very sensitive, so don't you dare do it again!"

She tilted her head up with an angry huff and stormed off, going nowhere in particular.

Gon laughed at Killua, knowing he was alive and could hear him. "You shouldn't have done that. What made you do that?"

Killua groaned, shakily rising to his feet. Pebbles fell off his hair and body. He rubbed the back of his head with a pained grimace. "I was curious, is all. I didn't know she would freak out like that."

The tan teen laughed harder. "Well, she's really upset now. You better apologize to her soon." He ran after his female friend. "Oi, Mizuki! Wait up!"

Killua sighed and stretched his body. His spine popped with a satisfactory sound. "Gon's right. I should apologize or she'll never talk to me again." His heart gave a painful pang at the thought.

He walked in the direction he saw Gon go after Mizuki, still feeling slight pain coursing through his body.

He glared at the hand that grasped her tail. "This is your fault!"

* * *

Later that day, Killua kept his distance from Mizuki, giving her time and space to cool down before approaching her. He had been following her and Gon and around, waiting for the right moment to apologize to her. He crept up behind her she sat on the rocky cliff overlooking a glistening lake with Gon while he fished.

"Mizuki?" the white-haired teen quietly called out.

She didn't say anything or give any indication that she heard him. After a few moments, she sighed.

"Yes, Killua?" she responded, not turning her head to him.

Her tone was still a bit terse, so he chose his words carefully to not anger her further. "Look, I'm sorry that I grabbed your tail without any warning," he apologized awkwardly. "I didn't know you would react like that and my hand moved on impulse. So, sorry."

Her back stood straighter and she twisted her neck to him. Seeing a small blush on his pale cheeks, she grinned at him.

"Okay, I forgive you."

Killua smiled back, sighing in relief. "Thanks."

He sat down next to her. Gon, silently listening to their conversation, resumed fishing with his back turned, a small grin spread across his face.

Mizuki's eyes suddenly narrowed dangerously. "But don't do it again," she threatened.

Killua's sweat ran down his neck. "Right, I won't anymore."

"Good."

"Oh, I just recalled something," she said in thought. "Gon, Killua mentioned earlier that I'm similar to you in one way, and I noticed that we actually have a lot in common. We live on islands, we communicate with animals, have dark skin, and possibly many more."

Gon caught a mackerel and put it in a basket that was in front of Mizuki. He caught a glance of her face and grinned at her shimmering green eyes and bright expression, very similar to his own.

"And?" he urged on, leaving the fishing line in the water and turning to her.

"Well, I consider you as a friend already, but since we have a lot in common, can I call Nii-chan from now on?"

Gon stared into her big hopeful orbs. They were so much like his whenever he wanted something. He completely agreed with her, though. He considered her as a best friend right away just like every person he met. But with her, he felt a certain kinship that went past friendship.

He chuckled heartily. "Sure. I've always wanted a little sister."

Mizuki clasped her hands together in joy. "Yay! Thank you, Nii-chan!"

Gon laughed harder at her enthusiasm, liking the ring to his new title.

The shape-shifter peered to Killua who silently watched their conversation. He had a feeling that she was going to ask him the same question, so he spoke up before she did.

"You can keep calling me by my name," he said firmly. "Besides, I already have a little sister."

Mizuki pouted. "Aww. Okay then."

As Gon continued fishing with him and Mizuki observing the tan teen from the sidelines, Killua couldn't help but feel a twinge of jealousy at Gon's and Mizuki's closeness. They have so many similarities that they could date each other if they wanted to. He was afraid that she might like Gon more than him. They didn't have anything in common, and she might stay away from him if she ever found out that he used to be an assassin.

He mentally shook his head. His thoughts made him sound so pathetic, so insecure. He berated himself for nearly losing his cool demeanor. His sky blue irises hardened at his internal determination. _I'll do my very best to impress her then._

* * *

Mizuki laid on the grass near the house spread-eagled, absorbing the heat from the sun. She was trying to relax but her body wouldn't stop twitching, wanting to do something active. They've been on Whale Island for a few days and she was getting very restless. She groaned loudly and sat up, crossing her legs butterfly-style.

"I can't stand being here any longer," she muttered to herself.

She loved Whale Island, but it reminded her too much of her own island. She was starting to feel constricted again.

Mizuki stood on her feet. "I think I'll go flying for a while."

She transformed into a falcon and flew east from the house, out to the ocean. From a distance, Gon watched her fly away.

He tilted his head to the side. _I wonder where she's going?_

When noon hit, Killua's stepped outside to find Mizuki. He circled the building but didn't find her. Worry seeped into his bones.

He ran to Gon when he saw him pass by. "Gon, have you seen Mizuki anywhere?"

"Yeah, I saw her leave the island a couple of hours ago in that direction," he replied, pointing eastward.

"Why would she leave without telling us where she's going," asked Killua, his tone laced with slight disappointment.

Gon shrugged his shoulders. "I'm not sure myself. Maybe she wants some time to herself."

The tan teen smiled to his friend when he noticed Killua's worried expression. "Don't worry. I'm sure she'll return soon. There's nothing but water for miles, so she'll have no choice but to come back."

Killua turned his head to the direction Mizuki flew off. "I hope you're right."

* * *

Mizuki continued flying eastward, flapping her wings every so often to stay airborne. She glided above the ocean surface next to a pod of dolphins as they leaped over the waves. They chittered to her in greeting, and she smiled back. She flew higher to avoid the spray from soaking her wings too much.

She pondered to herself as she resumed flying away from Whale Island. _I admit that it was a bit inconsiderate of me to leave without telling anybody where I was going, but I'm sure they'll understand. I'm a grown woman, and I can take care of myself._

Mizuki gazed up at the sun. Judging by the position of the sun, it was about late afternoon. _I've been flying for about a few hours now. I should be heading back, but I'm not ready to return yet._

She felt a strong gut feeling as she sensed an oncoming lightning storm coming her way. And a bad one at that.

She flapped her wings harder with a smirk on her beak. _I think I'll take this storm head on._

* * *

Killua sighed, a dejected expression etched on his visage. His cheek rested on his hand, his elbow propped up on the dining table. He stared out the window, looking at the direction Mizuki went hours ago. Gon sat across from him, playing games on his phone.

"There still hasn't been a single sign of Mizuki, and it's been hours since she left," Killua complained.

Gon looked up at his friend. "Now that you say it out loud, I'm getting slightly worried too. But as her new big brother, I believe in her strength and that she'll be all right wherever she is. You should have more faith in her too, Killua."

"I do!" Killua vehemently exclaimed. He looked back out the window where dark gray storm clouds slowly floated toward the island. He could see flashes of white arching through the clouds. "There are thunderclouds coming from the direction she went, and I can tell that the lightning is intense. I'm just concerned that she's caught up in it."

Gon only grinned in reassurance. "I'm certain she's fine. She is a Hunter after all. She's probably flying through the thunderclouds as a challenge to herself right now."

Killua groaned but believed in his friend's words. But seeing those clouds only intensified his worry.

* * *

An arc of lightning flashed through the dark clouds before a deafening thunderclap followed after it. Pelting raindrops stormed down to the ocean below, causing the previous calm waters to become a raging torrent. Powerful gales made the rain feel like hail as they pelted Mizuki's wings. She shifted into a pelican earlier to better adapt to the storm. Her water feathers glossed off the droplets much like water off a duck's feathers.

She veered right and left, barely dodging as it tried to strike her. She madly flapped her wings against the strong winds, continuing forward. Her eyes were squinted as she strained to see two feet in front of her.

 _I guess this is the closest to a lightning battle I will get if Killua's are too dangerous,_ Mizuki thought to herself as she tilted to the right just as a lightning passed. It singed off the very tip of her wing, but she barely felt any pain.

Eventually, she came upon the eye of the storm. It was calm around her, the walls of the eye still raging. The night sky was clear above her, the indigo blanket dotted with diamonds.

Mizuki hovered in the air, gazing up at the dark sky in shock. "It's already night. I didn't notice that so much time passed,"

Guilt settled in the pit of her stomach. "Everyone must be so worried about me right now. I better return to Whale Island."

She flapped her wings in big swoops to gain more altitude to get above the clouds, and then flew home. When she left, she flew at a leisure pace, but now at full speed to reach the island in record time.

Mizuki dove back into the clouds to find the island ahead of her. The rain softened to a light drizzle when she glided to the front of the house. All the lights were out but she spotted the home just fine, being the only house resting on the edge of a cliff. Her eyes grew wide when she saw a white-haired figure standing at the front door.

 _Is that Killua?_ She groaned. _I'm in so much trouble._

Mizuki landed in front of him and changed to her human form. Her clothes were drenched, sticking to her skin. Her eyes were downcast but she could see that Killua's clothes were soaked as well.

 _Was he waiting outside for me in the rain this entire time?_

The thought made her feel warm, but it was quickly replaced by a cold chill when she sensed Killua's intense stare on her. She grew more nervous when he didn't utter a single word since she arrived.

"Mizuki," He simply said with an icy tone.

At her name, she flinched but gathered her courage and looked up. Killua had his arms crossed tightly and his hair laid limp against his face. His blue eyes were hardened sapphires as they held intense ferocity.

She gulped. "Yes?" she meekly answered.

Suddenly, Killua blew up and shouted at her. "Do you have any idea how worried everybody is about you? We had no clue where you were!"

He ranted on, not giving her a chance to speak. "You've been gone for hours! Why didn't you come back sooner when the storm reached you? Why didn't you tell anyone where you were going?"

Finally venting out his pent-up frustration, he panted and awaited the shape-shifter's response. Her head was down again and she was quiet.

Killua leaned back when he saw her shoulders shake. Tears welled up in her eyes but she refused to let any of them fall. She lifted her hands to wipe at her eyes.

"I'm sorry," she sniffled. "I… I didn't mean to… worry you all. I just wanted… wanted to…"

Mizuki spoke incoherently as her light hiccups broke her sentences. Killua heavily sighed, feeling guilty for making her cry, but he wanted to get his point across.

He gently grabbed her wrist and pulled her inside the house. "Come on. Let's get you inside before you catch a cold."

He closed the door behind her, turned on the lights, and quickly retrieved a couple of towels when she started shivering. He draped one over her shoulders, and plopped another on her head. Just as she moved her hands above her head, Killua got to it first. He tenderly rubbed her hair, drying her drenched locks. A blush formed on her cheeks as she put down her hands and let Killua continue doing his work.

Once finished, he removed the towel and observed his work. Her hair was mostly dry, so he placed the towel aside.

"I'm going to prepare a hot bath for you," he said while walking upstairs. "In the meantime, dry the rest of yourself."

"Okay," she quietly replied back.

She patted down her legs and arms, feeling slightly warmer now. She squeezed the water out of her clothes into the towel, the fluffy towel quickly becoming heavy.

Killua came back down just as she finished. "The bath is ready and Mito-san has your night clothes in there. I'll heat up your dinner for you."

She nodded to him and stalked up the stairs to the bathroom. She dumped her wet clothes in a laundry basket and dipped her cold body into the hot water. She deeply sighed in contentment as her slightly numb fingers and toes began getting feeling back.

Mizuki quickly washed herself and put on a nightgown before heading back down to the dining room. She found Killua sitting on a dining room chair, a plate of food on the spot next to him. His head didn't move at her presence. She sat in front of the plate and quietly ate her fill. The shape-shifter kept her eyes on her food, Killua glancing at her from the corners of his eyes from time to time. They didn't speak the entire time she ate.

Mizuki finished her meal and Killua silently put the plate away. He grasped her wrist again and led her to Gon's room. She could have tugged her wrist free but didn't mind Killua holding her. She let him do whatever he wanted as a way of repentance for what she did to him.

The former assassin quietly opened the door. Gon's limbs were spread out and his mouth was wide open, loud snores coming from him. Killua let go of Mizuki's wrist and she walked to her bed, pulling the cover over her.

The white-haired teen sat on his bed, ready to fall asleep until Mizuki spoke up for the first time in thirty minutes.

"Killua?" she softly said to him.

He turned his head to her, her body facing him. "Yeah?"

She sent him a small smile. "Thank you."

Without waiting for his response, she closed her eyes and instantly fell asleep.

Blood rushed up to his cheeks, embarrassed of himself for getting so flustered over her simple smile. He grinned to himself as he lied down.

"You're welcome."

* * *

 **And that's it for now! Thank you all for your continuing support. I really appreciate them. They motivate me to keep working on this despite life getting in the way. Review please!**


	7. Reunion with Friends, Old and New

**Hey everybody! I hope you all are having a great summer. I don't have much to say this time, so enjoy! Also, I don't own Hunter x Hunter.**

 **P.S I don't know the geography of the Hunter x Hunter world, so I'm just guesstimating where everything is. Please let me know if I got anything wrong.**

* * *

Mizuki's subconscious was dark and quiet. She was enjoying the blissful silence until noises from the outside interrupted her slumber. She tried to ignore them, but her brain was slowly buzzing with activity, causing her to wake up.

She stirred in her sleep then slowly opened her eyes. She blinked several times to clear her blurry vision. Mizuki gazed above her head to the window to find that it was daylight outside. The sounds of birds chirping and waves crashing against the cliff urged her to get out of bed. She sat up, the sheet pooling around her waist. Her eyes moved to her left and right, and found Gon and Killua's beds empty.

Mizuki smoothed down her hair. She sniffed the air for their scents and figured out that they've been gone for a while by their stale scents.

 _It feels like it's past noon,_ the shape-shifter thought. _Of course Killua and Gon are already up. I better get up too and apologize to Gon, Mito-san, and Obaa-chan._

Mizuki stretched her arms above her head then stood on her feet. Since she already took a shower last night, she put on her clothes that Mito-san gave her and ran downstairs. She saw Mito-san and Obaa-chan at the dining table drinking tea.

Mito-san looked up from her cup and gaped at seeing Mizuki. She put down her cup and dashed to the shape-shifter, fretting over her person.

"Mizuki!" the orange-haired woman exclaimed, beginning to bombard her with an array of questions. "You're finally back. Where did you go all day? We were worried about you."

The teenager smiled reassuringly at Mito-san. "I didn't go anywhere particular. I'm sorry for worrying you all. I should have told what I was doing instead of leaving without any warning."

Mito-san placed her hands on Mizuki's shoulders. She brightly smiled at the young woman. "All that matters now is that you're safe. But please, don't do that again."

Mizuki firmly nodded. "I won't. Promise."

Mito-san nodded back. "Good. Now, go sit down. I'll get you some food."

The shape-shifter obeyed and sat across from Obaa-chan. The elderly woman warmly smiled at Mizuki, already forgiven the young lady. Mizuki grinned back and waited patiently for her food.

Mito-san brought in a plate piled with various foods and placed it in front of Mizuki. She thanked the orange-haired woman and eagerly dug in. She wasn't quite full last night, so she ate everything, leaving the plate clean.

Mizuki downed a cup of lukewarm tea that Obaa-chan poured for her. "Where are Gon and Killua, by the way?" she asked Mito-san, licking her lips.

"They stepped out a few hours ago," she replied. "They should be back any moment now."

As if on cue, the boys entered the house. Gon's honey brown orbs lit up at seeing his little sister. He ran to her and wrapped his arms around her head in a hug. Her face was pressed against his chest.

"Mizuki!" Gon exclaimed. "I'm so happy you're all right."

She grinned, lifting her arms to wrap around her friend/brother's waist. "Yeah, I'm okay now Nii-chan."

"Nii-chan?" Mito-san questioned, confused.

"Hai," said Gon, releasing Mizuki's head. "We have a lot in common, so we decided to be siblings."

Obaa-chan chuckled. "How adorable. I do see some similarities between you two."

Killua suppressed his jealousy. He really didn't want to hurt Gon, but it was getting harder to restrain himself by the day.

"How about we move upstairs, guys?" the former assassin suggested, his tone a little tense. "Mizuki still needs to explain her actions from yesterday."

Thankfully, his friends didn't hear his strained tone and happily followed him to Gon's room. He closed the door when everybody got settled in. He and Gon sat on Mizuki's bed while she sat on Gon's.

"So Mizuki," Killua began. "Can you please tell us why you left Whale Island without telling me or Gon?"

"Yeah," Gon answered, agreeing with his best friend. "We were all concerned about you when the lightning storm hit."

He sent a sideways glance at Killua with a hint of a teasing smirk. "Especially Killua. He wouldn't stop talking about you."

The white-haired teen's face heated tomato red. He punched Gon on his arm hard. The tan teen winced in pain but he chuckled lightly.

"S-Shut up, Gon!" Killua sputtered, looking away embarrassed.

"Well, it's true," Gon muttered.

Mizuki laughed heartily, crossing her legs in a butterfly position. "I wasn't planning on going anywhere specific," she explained. "The island started making me feel trapped, so I wanted to spread my wings."

She shrugged her shoulders at her unintentional pun. "So to speak."

Gon piped up. "The island made you feel constricted?"

Guilt spread across her face. "Yes." She realized that it sounded like Gon's home made her uncomfortable. She put up her hands defensively and waved them frantically. "Not that I don't like Whale Island! I love it! It's just staying here for so long reminded me of my home."

She continued, her head downcast. "I don't mind residing here, but I was getting antsy. I've only been away from home for about two weeks, so being back on an island felt too soon. I want to travel the world really bad, but if I asked, I would feel guilty. I would feel like we're leaving Mito-san and Obaa-chan early."

Killua grinned. "It's a remarkable quality that you put other's feelings before yours. But you don't have to feel sorry, Mizuki. We come and go so often that they're used to it. And besides, we agreed to accompany you, and that's what we intend to do."

"Yeah," said Gon. "In fact…"

He hopped on his bed and sat next to Mizuki. He stuck out his pinky finger with a bright smile. "Let's do a pinky promise for it."

She cocked her head to the side in puzzlement. "Pinky promise?" she echoed, staring at his outstretched digit.

"Yeah. You've never done a pinky promise?"

She shook her head. "I've made regular promises, but not pinky promises."

"Okay. Just hold your pinky finger out like mine," Gon instructed.

Mizuki did as was told and Gon hooked his digit around hers. He shook their hands up and down as he sang the song.

" _Yubi kiri genman, uso tsuitara. Hari sen bon nomasu, yubi kitta!"_

"And, here on the island, we seal the promise with a kiss," he added.

Gon pressed his thumb against Mizuki's, making a 'chu' sound with his mouth. She blinked dumbfounded at their pressed thumbs then gazed up at her brother's bright smile.

She giggled at Gon's cuteness, a light pink blush dusting her cheeks. "You're too funny, Nii-chan."

Gon reflected his sister's expression. He laughed too, rubbing the back of his neck with his free hand.

Seeing his two friends perform a pinky swear triggered a memory in Killua's mind. He remembered when he and Gon were twelve, and Gon made a pinky promise with Palm. She completely freaked out, acting all lovesick over the tan teen. Killua shuddered at the memory.

 _At least Mizuki's not acting crazy like Palm._

"So," Mizuki asked as she and Gon unlinked their pinkies, "what were you guys doing earlier?"

"We had to get a couple of errands done," Killua replied.

"Oh, oh!" Gon said, shifting his legs excitedly. "Can I tell her, Killua?"

The white-haired teen smirked, his friend's enthusiasm contagious. "Go ahead."

Gon turned to his sister. "We left to order some airship tickets to Yorkshire. In about over a week, we are going to meet our friends Kurapika and Leorio there and hang out with them. We had to call them to confirm the date.

"We wanted to surprise you later when we left the island, but now seems a good time since you said you want to leave. I know you want to see the world, but we can do it later after you meet our friends. If that's okay with you."

Mizuki shook her head, grinning. "No, it's fine. I can wait longer. I'd love to meet your friends."

"Great," said Killua. "We're leaving early tomorrow morning to board Captain Arashi's ship. Make sure everything is packed by tonight."

"Sure!" responded Mizuki, already hyped for tomorrow. She felt slight remorse for leaving Mito-san and Obaa-chan so abruptly, but she understood that they'll be fine with their situation.

"In that case, I'll tell Mito-san so that we can go shopping for more clothes," Mizuki stated. "I only have two sets."

"All right," Gon said. "We'll prepare our things in the meantime."

The shape-shifter jumped off the bed and ran down to the first floor. She approached Mito-san and explained what she needed to do. The orange-haired woman complied, saying they better leave soon so they'll return on time to make dinner.

The two women spent the rest of the day clothes shopping. Mizuki thought it was enjoyable shopping with Mito-san. The female teen never wore anything else other than her island clothes. Wearing the tank top and shorts felt comfortable on her, so she happily nodded to any clothing that Mito-san picked out.

They returned to the house, arms filled with bags, when the sky was stained sunset orange. Mizuki dashed upstairs and folded her new raiment into her backpack. When the teens went downstairs, there was a huge feast waiting for them. They eagerly ate the delicious food then went to bed, their bellies full.

The next morning, the teens stood outside the house, Mito-san and Obaa-chan standing at the door. The sun barely rose over the horizon. The air was chilled, and the sky held onto the last vestiges of the night. Mito-san tenderly smiled at the young teens before her. Though they were young adults, she saw them as little kids. They certainly acted like children most of the time, but she didn't mind.

"Now you all have a safe trip," she said. "And be safe on your missions. Don't be reckless and take care of each other."

"We know Mito-san," Gon quietly responded.

"We'll be careful," Killua added.

The orange-haired woman twisted her head to Mizuki. "Make sure to watch their backs, Mizuki. They tend to get into unexpected trouble sometimes. And you're always welcome here whenever you want to visit."

Mizuki gratefully dipped her head. "I will. Thank you for your hospitality."

The teens walked down the hill, waving behind them to the older women. They waved back until the Hunters disappeared from sight.

Gon, Killua, and Mizuki made it to the docks just when Arashi's ship anchored. They boarded the ship and were greeted by the crew. The captain greeted them as well, smoking his pipe. Once they checked the condition of the vessel and restocked on supplies, the ship set sail out to the ocean.

Killua was able to fully relax for the past four days because there were no passengers this time. He was perfectly fine with Mizuki hanging out with the crew. They respected her and he knew that they wouldn't harm her.

They made it to the same fishing town they left after the Hunter Exam with no problems. This time, they took an airship to Yorkshire. Mizuki gazed down at the landscape below her in awe when the airship took off. Her face was smooshed against the window, her eyes roving all over the place trying to absorb the city from an aerial view. Gon sat across from her. Killua was next to her, his head propped up on an armrest.

The spiky-haired teen chuckled at his sister's giddy expression. "Mizuki, it looks like you're trying to take in Yorkshire before it vanishes. It's not going anywhere."

The shape-shifter giggled, not moving her head. "I know, but I wasn't able to fully enjoy the view during the Exam. I'm just attempting to memorize the sight from this high up."

Gon's smile stretched further and just observed Mizuki as she resumed her gazing. Her amazed expression greatly reminded him of his own when he was twelve. Turns out that they did have a lot of similarities in personality and interests.

The airship landed at an airport a couple of hours later. The teens walked out and roamed the streets of the city as they made their way to their hotel. Mizuki's head couldn't stop swiveling everywhere. She was terrified of the metropolis when she first arrived, but with Gon and Killua by her side, she was excited to explore the city. Her ears adjusted to the loud noise. She stayed close to the boys as they shuffled through the heavy crowds. Tall skyscrapers touched the sky and cars whizzed past on black asphalt.

They ended up on a quieter district of the city but it was still somewhat clamorous. It looked like a small bazaar was set up. Colorful stands sold various wares, ranging from fried foods to jewelry to weapons. Vendors yelled out to potential customers, attracting people to their stalls. Mizuki's eyes glittered in wonder at all of the items she's never seen before. She constantly hopped from stall to stall, admiring the vast variety of wares. The boys continued strolling, glancing at different stands. Killua had to call Mizuki's name several times to keep her on track.

"Remember this, Killua?" Gon piped up with a smile. "We were at a bazaar just like this, garnering money to buy Greed Island."

The white-haired teen laughed with a grin of his own. "How could I forget? We nearly lost more than half the money we earned at Heaven's Arena."

Gon nudged Killua's shoulder playfully. "And, if I remember correctly, you lost most of it by gambling excessively."

Killua nudged back, heat rising in his cheeks. "Shut up. Don't bring that up again."

The tan male laughed.

Killua turned his head back and saw Mizuki at the same stall she was at for the past two minutes. He groaned, slightly annoyed with himself having to call her name multiple times.

"Mizuki!" he called out, grabbing her attention.

The aforementioned person looked up with a start, engrossed by the shiny jewelry. "Oh. Coming!"

She gently put down a jade necklace and ran to her friends. Not a minute passed and Mizuki was eyeing another stall, taking a step to it. Killua saw her movement and quickly grasped her wrist, pulling her back to his side.

The shape-shifter groaned but complied and remained with the former assassin. She even clung to his arm, both her arms wrapped around his. Killua tried to suppress the blood flow to his cheeks. He didn't pry away his limb, silently relishing in her warmth.

The teens made it to the hotel and checked in. The room they had was pretty spacious. There were two beds, a bathroom with a separate bath, and a mini-kitchen. A wide screen television hooked to the wall. The carpet was plush except around the kitchen which was tiled. A connected door led to Mizuki's room.

"When are your friends coming again," Mizuki said while throwing her pack in her room.

"They'll come here within three days," answered Gon, sitting on his bed. "You'll love them, Mizuki. Leorio is a doctor and kind of a narcissist, but he's nice. And Kurapika is cool too, although he acts distant and doesn't ask us for help. I don't blame him though, him being the only Kurta."

Mizuki grew still, her body rigid. Killua raised an eyebrow at her sudden change in demeanor.

"Did you say Kurta?" she questioned softly.

"Yeah," Gon drawled, curious of Mizuki's tone. "Do you know something?"

"Well, the clan that lived next to us when my people used to live on the mainland was the Kurta," the female teen elaborated, her voice a bit subdued. "We were friends since we habited the same forest. We had occasional meetings where our clans would gather and have fun or talk about issues."

She dipped her head down. "But one day, many years ago, the Phantom Troupe massacred all of the Kurta, stealing their eyes. When we heard the tragedy from nearby forest animals, my clan panicked, thinking that the same fate was going to happen to us. We thought that they would capture and enslave us because of our abilities. I was very young when it occurred and I remember being terrified. We only grabbed the bare essentials and fled for days to the ocean, finding an uninhabited island and making it our new home."

Gon and Killua were quiet as they intently listened to Mizuki's story of her past. They realized that this was the incident that she refused to tell them when they took the captain's ship to Whale Island. They were a bit shocked at hearing it since Kurapika never mentioned another clan living in the same forest as him.

"We didn't know, "Killua said, breaking the silence. "I'm sorry that you went through that."

Mizuki smiled, though it didn't reach far. "It's okay. I feel so much better knowing that there's at least one survivor." She stood up with a determined look. "I have to go somewhere for a couple of days. I should be back by the time your friends arrive."

"Are you sure you don't want one of us to come with you?" asked Killua. He didn't feel comfortable with Mizuki going out on her own in a land she was still unfamiliar with.

Mizuki nodded. "Yeah, I'll be fine. It will be faster if I went alone. I studied Captain Arashi's maps so I know where to go."

Killua's brows furrowed, still unsure, but Gon seemed okay with it. "Okay, just be safe."

"I will."

She transformed into a hawk before leaving the room then took off. The boys watched her go, patiently awaiting her return.

The shape-shifter flew above the city towards her clan's former home. Nobody suspected that a transformed girl was soaring over them. Not even experienced Hunters would tell the difference between her and a regular hawk. With her long wingspan, she reached the Lukso Province in a day and a half.

She dove into her former territory and perched on a tree branch. Mizuki surveyed her surroundings using her enhanced vision. She needed to be certain that no outsiders were roaming around, salvaging her people's belongings. She nodded to herself when the coast was clear and jumped off. The shape-shifter changed to her human form and walked to her village.

Mizuki strolled under a wooden arch, her village's entrance, and gazed around. Everything pretty much remain untouched on the night her clan fled when the Kurta was massacred. Wooden houses creaked under the wind, vines crawled across the panels. Random objects littered the floor: toys, baskets, clothing, and more. Over the years, older members of her clan returned here and collected some belongings to bring back to their island.

The shape-shifter looked to her left and saw a ring of stones with a ball in it. A small smile pulled on her lips as a memory surfaced in her mind. She played ball with her friends when she was a kid, where they had to keep the ball in the circle for as long as they could. If somebody kicked the ball out, they lose.

She shook her head to rid herself of good times. _Focus, Mizuki. Now's not the time to be reminiscing._

Mizuki stalked all the way to the back of the village. She came upon a huge tree, its roots above the ground. A hollow spot was carved into the tree as a makeshift shrine. Three wooden circular containers rested side by side. She carefully stacked them and placed them on a cloth she picked up. She tied them from the top and put it on the floor.

Mizuki turned her body to the direction of her village with a frown. _I wish I could stick around longer, but I must return to Yorkshire._

The tan female shifted into a hawk again, grabbed the cloth by the knot with her talons, then flew away. She gazed down at the forest for the last time before flapping her wings and flying back to the city.

* * *

On the third day in Yorkshire, there was a knock on Gon and Killua's hotel room door. Gon practically flew to the door, nearly bursting with enthusiasm. He opened it and his smile brightened at the people before him.

"Leorio! Kurapika!"

Said people grinned back at his greeting. The islander moved aside to let them in. Killua looked up and sent them a small grin. Leorio had his suit and tie, and Kurapika wore his traditional Kurta clothing.

"Hey Kurapika, Leorio."

The doctor ran to Killua, putting the former assassin in a headlock and ruffling his hair. "Killua! It seems forever since I've seen you. How have you been?"

Killua grumbled irritably as he attempted to free himself out of Leorio's grasp. "I'm fine. Let go of me before I stab you."

Leorio only laughed at Killua's empty threat. Kurapika chuckled at their interaction, Gon standing next to him. His red diamond earring tinkled with his movements.

"It has been a while though," the Kurta said, agreeing with his friend. "A year, perhaps?"

Gon nodded. "Hai, about."

Leorio released Killua, the white-haired teen fixing his unruly hair while glaring at the doctor. "Where is your friend that you were talking about the other day?" Leorio inquired Gon.

"She hasn't come back yet," he replied. "She said she had to go somewhere before meeting you guys."

Killua peered to the open window. He left it open since her departure so Mizuki could fly in when she returned. "She should be coming back anytime now."

As soon as he finished his sentence, a hawk swooped in, carrying a cloth filled with something. All of the males stared at the bird as it set down its package in the middle of them. It landed on the carpeted floor and shifted into a human girl. Kurapika and Leorio gawked at Mizuki while Gon and Killua smiled at her.

"Mizuki!" Gon exclaimed. "You're finally back."

The female teen grinned back. "Yeah. I completed my errand without a hitch."

Mizuki twisted to Leorio and Kurapika who were still openly gaping at her. Their eyes were mainly focused on the feathers on her person. She flashed them a warm smile. "You two must be Leorio and Kurapika. Normally, I wouldn't transform in front of strangers but since you're Nii-chan and Killua's best friends, I suppose I can trust you."

The Kurta snapped out of his stupor. "Wait, Nii-chan? Gon, Mizuki is your sister?"

The spiky-haired teen chuckled. "No, we're not blood-related. She started calling me that because we have a lot in common."

"Oh, okay. If you say so." He strode to Mizuki, holding out his hand. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Mizuki. I'm Kurapika."

The shape-shifter shook the outstretched hand. "Likewise."

Kurapika turned his head to Leorio with a deadpanned look. "And that guy in the business suit is Leorio."

When his name was mentioned, the doctor coughed and straightened his figure. His aura exuded confidence as he strutted toward the shape-shifter. He leaned his head down to her level.

"I'd prefer to be called Doctor Leorio," he said, his voice deep. "And might I add that you are a gorgeous specimen."

A growl rumbled in Killua's chest. He knew that Leorio hit on any pretty woman he laid his eyes on, but he could not tolerate him flirting with his Mizuki. She deserved someone better, someone who would treat her right, and was as powerful as her.

Mizuki put her hands on her hips and shot Leorio a smug grin. "Flattery will get you nowhere with me. Sorry."

The doctor visibly deflated when his charm didn't work. Gon, Killua, and Kurapika laughed at his expense.

"Looks like you were shot down, old man," Killua responded, using Leorio's old nickname.

Mizuki gazed at the crestfallen doctor with slight sympathy. "I'm sorry, Leorio. I can sense you're a great person, but you're not my type. I'm sure you'll find somebody sooner or later."

 _Yeah, just not Mizuki,_ Killua retorted mentally.

Leorio sighed, rubbing the back his neck. "It was worth a shot." He looked up at her with a small, awkward smirk. "Can we still be friends?"

Mizuki beamed. "Of course."

She turned to Kurapika. "I know we just met, but may I speak with you alone for a few minutes?"

The Kurta's alertness spiked but he remained composed. He curtly nodded his head. "Of course."

Mizuki picked up her package and walked to her room, Kurapika following. Killua watched them go, the door closing behind them with a click. His fists clenched on the bedsheets.

 _No need to worry, Killua. Kurapika won't lay a finger on Mizuki._

The former assassin growled at himself softly as he tried to quell the hot, burning feeling in his body. _I really need to get this under control. I'm snapping at my friends for no reason._

Little did he know that he was experiencing a strong emotion for a very good reason.

* * *

Kurapika observed Mizuki warily when they entered her room. He couldn't help but still erect his wall when being with her. He knew he could trust her, but he couldn't resist his natural reaction.

Mizuki spun to him and held out the tied cloth with both hands, bowing at her waist. The Kurta raised a confused eyebrow at her position. He took the offer nonetheless.

"Do you recall the Anima Clan?" she asked him, still in her bowed position.

Kurapika's eyes flickered as he sifted through his thoughts to give Mizuki an answer. He gasped softly as suppressed memories sped through his brain. Gatherings with another clan, different colored animal markings. He looked down and actually registered the marks on Mizuki's face.

A tiny smile broke on his face. "Yes. I nearly forgotten about your clan after what happened to my people. I don't think I've ever seen you at any of the meetings."

Mizuki straightened her back, shooting Kurapika a bright grin, glad that he remembered. "I was very young the few times I went, so I stayed with my age group. I also want to say it's a pleasure to meet the last Kurta."

"And it is nice to meet a fellow Anima member," he politely said. He shifted the cloth in his hands. "What is this you have given me, by the way?"

Mizuki looked down, scuffing her foot on the floor. "You have to see for yourself."

Skeptical, he untied the cloth and put it on a nearby table. He grabbed one of the containers and unscrewed the cap. His scarlet orbs flashed through his dark gray contacts. His breath hitched and his hand trembled as he stared down at the object. Red eyes in a clear jelly substance stared up at him. Kurapika didn't bother with the other containers, knowing more of his people's eyes were in them.

"How…" he breathed, turning to Mizuki. "How did you get these?"

The shape-shifter spoke quietly. "When we heard that the Kurta Clan was being mercilessly killed, instead of coming to your aid, we ran away like the frightened animals we were. After a few days passed, some of our members had the courage to go back and see if there were any survivors. There were none, but they found three bodies in between our territories.

"They told us that they were heavily wounded and it looked like they were crawling to our home for help, but died along the way. So, as a way of remembrance and repentance of what transpired, they took the eyes and preserved them. They made a shrine at the back of our former village and left it untouched."

Mizuki bowed again, hands folded in front of her. "On behalf of the Anima Clan, I deeply apologize for not helping our brethren. We ran away, saving our own lives rather than risking it to save yours. I was little when it happened, but I felt guilty for not doing a single thing. The Kurta are like a second family to me, so even now I'm ashamed for not assisting. Please, forgive us for our ineptness."

The air grew quiet when Kurapika didn't say a word. The next few seconds felt like a century to Mizuki as she patiently waited for his response with bated breath.

A hand fell on her shoulder. She tilted her head up and saw that Kurapika had a tender smile grace his face. His eyes returned to its dark gray color.

"I'm very grateful to you for bringing me my people's eyes," he genuinely spoke.

Mizuki nodded. "Of course. They are your clan's last remains."

"In addition, I accept your apology and appreciate your thoughts. To be frank with you though, I believe that it was best that your clan escaped when they did. Your people would have been wiped out too. The Spiders are a very powerful group, and are difficult to take down."

She stood up. "Okay, and you're welcome."

The moment of reconciliation broke when there was knocking on the connected door. "Mizuki? Kurapika?" It was Gon's voice. "We're about to head out to eat lunch. Are you two done talking?"

"We're coming, Nii-chan," she shouted back.

"All right. Hurry, I'm starving!" She could practically see him bouncing on the other side.

She and Kurapika laughed. "We better get going," Mizuki giggled.

"Right." Kurapika closed the cap and set the container with the others almost reverently. "I'll keep these in your room for now."

"Sure," Mizuki answered, opening the door then stepping out.

* * *

Killua treasured his companions immensely since he had very few, but he wasn't liking one of them at the moment. He scolded himself the other day for biting at his friends for flirting with Mizuki, but he couldn't help it. An intense feeling would always boil in his stomach whenever they would talk to her. Right now, he was slightly seething at Kurapika, eyes boring into the Kurta's back, as all of them stood in the airport.

Mizuki told them how her clan and Kurapika's clan were allies, and thus were related in some way. Killua was perfectly fine at first, but now he disliked it. For two days, she spent most of her social time talking to Kurapika about their peoples. He understood that she wanted to be with him, Kurapika practically a big brother or cousin to her, but he still hated it. He couldn't make her stay away from the Kurta as much as he would've like to. She wasn't his to claim.

His blue orbs looked up when her heard Mizuki's cheery laughter to whatever Kurapika said. He growled under his breath when they looked like they were having fun. Thankfully, Kurapika and Leorio had to go back to work so they were departing today.

A lady's voice resounded on the intercom. "Attention passengers. The flight to the Republic of Padokia is departing soon. Please gather at Gate A for boarding."

Killua sauntered to Mizuki's side and slung his arm over her shoulders possessively. "You better get going before you miss your flight," he said with a hidden mask of impatience.

The shape-shifter's eyes softened. "I wish we could talk more, but I agree with Killua," she said to the Kurta.

Kurapika hiked up his backpack on his shoulder, smiling. "Me too. I almost forgot all my clan's culture and traditions, and you reminded me of them. Thank you for that."

Mizuki grinned brightly. "It was my pleasure."

She turned her head when Leorio and Gon approached them. Leorio stood next to Kurapika, him taking the same flight, and Gon stalked to Mizuki's other side.

"I had a wonderful time with you two," she spoke to the doctor and Kurta. "Let's hang out again real soon, okay?"

Leorio gave a thumbs up. "You bet!"

Kurapika nodded. "Sure."

They walked away, the teens waving and shouting goodbye. Mizuki twisted her head to her friends, her eyes strangely alight. "Now, can we start traveling?"

Gon and Killua smiled at her childlike glee. Her voice pitched higher to the point of pleading and her bottom lip jutted out.

The spiky-haired teen ruffled his sister's hair. "Yes, we can go wherever you desire."

"Yes, finally!" she exclaimed. Her smile fell as she just realized something. "But I don't have any clue what our first destination should be."

Killua chuckled, turning away. "Gon and I already chose a place, but it's a surprise."

Gon laughed too as he followed his friend. Mizuki pouted and ran after them. "Can't you give me a tiny hint?"

Killua made the mistake of twisting his neck around to her. Her pouty face with her cheeks puffed out made her cuter. He turned back, a rosy blush tinging his pale cheeks. "No can do."

Mizuki continued pouting as the boys laughed at her misery. Gon spoke. "Today's the last day of the bazaar. You want to buy a souvenir, Mizuki?"

Her expression changed gears. A beaming smile stretched on her lips. "Yeah!"

* * *

 **And that's it for now! At this point, I don't have a clear idea on what I want to do to progress the story. I have several ideas and a main plot, but I'm struggling on how to connect them all. Don't worry, I'm not going on hiatus or anything. I just need more time to think about the progression, so the story might be delayed a bit. I appreciate your continuing support and please be patient with me. See you soon, hopefully. Review and have a nice day!**

 **English translation to pinky swear song:**

 _ **If (you) tell a lie, drink 1,000 needles (and) cut (my) finger.**_

 **Source: Youtube**


	8. Mizuki's First Mission

**Hey everybody! I am so sorry that I haven't updated this story in months! The chapter was a bit longer than I expected as I was planning it. Also, after I finished my summer classes, I was occupied for two weeks getting ready for college, and then when school started I already had some studying to do. Again, sorry. At this point, not everything is set in stone so I don't have a clear idea where this story is going, so it might take some time. Thank you all for sticking with me for so long.**

 **Anyway, on with the story!**

* * *

Mizuki oohed at a snow globe at the bazaar. There weren't many stalls left but there were still an average amount of people browsing and selling. She glanced at the other trinkets with a contemplative look, thinking what she liked the most. The shape-shifter wanted a lot of things, but chose to pick one thing since she still didn't have money of her own.

Mizuki picked up a colorful bead necklace. "What do you think of this one, Nii-chan?"

Gon smiled. "It looks pretty. It will look great on you."

"Maybe we should look at more stalls," Killua suggested. "This is only the second stand we've been to."

"You're right Killua," Gon agreed, walking away to another vendor. "I'll go ahead and see if there's anything else interesting."

Mizuki remained at the stall, choosing the few items that she liked just in case the other stalls didn't have what she wanted. Killua stayed by her side, hovering protectively over her like a bodyguard.

The hairs on the back of his neck stood erect when he sensed eyes on them, more specifically on Mizuki. From the corner of his eyes, he saw three men ten feet away leering at his friend hungrily.

Killua's blue eyes flashed dangerously. A scowl set on his lips. _Better deal with these guys._

He turned to Mizuki with a casual grin. "I'm going to check out something. Why don't you go ahead with Gon?"

Mizuki gave him a puzzled look as he gently pushed her to the direction Gon went, but shrugged it off.

"Okay," she replied, jogging after her brother.

Killua's smile fell and returned to being a scowl as he strode away silently, going into assassin mode. He didn't directly confront the men; instead, he walked behind the stalls and creeped behind them.

"You know, I don't appreciate strangers staring at my friend," Killua spoke lowly.

The men jumped in the air and whirled to Killua. Sweat poured out of them like a fountain at his fearsome demeanor. His arms were crossed over his chest tersely, and his eyes darkened, hardening into ice.

Killua continued. "She's one of my closest friends and I'll be damn if I let any perverts so much as look at her." He morphed his hand into sharp-looking knives. "Now get out of here before I kill you all."

The men scrambled away, wetting their pants. Killua returned his hand back to normal then stalked back to his friends, his composure passive.

Mizuki heard his soft footsteps and looked up at him with a small grin. "You're back. Did you find anything?"

The white-haired teen shook his head, folding his arms behind his head. "Nope, nothing. What about you?"

The shape-shifter eagerly bobbed her head. "Yeah, I got this!" She held up a metal bracelet with a puppy, kitty cat, wolf paw, and feather charms attached to it. "Nii-chan found this and I picked out the charms."

"I already paid for it," Gon interjected as Mizuki clasped her new accessory around her left wrist.

"Now, can you tell me what the surprise is?" Mizuki pleaded.

Killua smirked. "No. Besides, it will come much later. We need to go on some missions so you can earn some money."

Mizuki giggled nervously, scratching her cheek. "Yeah, you're right."

"There's an internet café around the block," said Gon. "We can check it out and see what jobs are available on the Hunter's Association page."

Gon's friends followed him to the café that he remembered was close by. He sat at a computer, his companions hovering above him. Gon placed his license on a card reader, then opened the Hunter's Association website.

He clicked on the page containing various jobs. "Why don't you pick a request, Mizuki? It'll be your first one, so choose whatever you want."

Mizuki's eyes lit up in excitement. "Hai!"

She grabbed the mouse and scrolled down the page, her eyes dashing through the various job descriptions.

"The requests have different letters, meaning they vary in difficulty," Killua added. "S is the hardest and D is easiest."

Mizuki hummed in response as she continued searching through the missions. The shape-shifter gasped when her eyes landed on an interesting job.

She turned to her friends and pointed at the monitor. "What about this one?"

The boys leaned forward and checked the description. "Find the rare jaguar jewel in the Chaotic Jungle in the Republic of Padokea," Killua read out loud. "And it's B rank."

The former assassin stood straight with a smirk. "It sounds interesting, and with all of us working together it should be a cinch."

Gon beamed along with his friend. "Yeah, let's do it! Click it Mizuki!"

Glad that her companions approved her choice, she eagerly clicked on the accept button and printed the paper to show the client later.

"All right, now that that's done, let's buy some airship tickets," Killua spoke. Gon stood up and allowed the white-haired teen to take his place to purchase the tickets.

Once that was done, they left Yorkshire in the evening. The flight was going to take all night, so they slept on the airship.

Mizuki sat next to Killua again, him on the window seat. Gon slept across from them, his body spread out on the seats and a blanket nearly falling off of him. A half-moon lit up the interior of the airship, casting a white glow on all the passengers who were also asleep or slowly nodding off.

It was quiet between the two teens until the female teen spoke. "Killua, may I ask you something?"

He glanced at Mizuki from the corner of his eye. Her head rested on her hand, her elbow propped up on the armrest. Her eyes were closed as well.

Killua answered. "Go ahead."

"Were you… once an assassin," she asked tentatively.

The former assassin's eyes flew open and his body grew rigid. His blood ran cold through his veins when Mizuki found out his secret.

He took in a shuddering breath. "Did someone tell you," he inquired quietly, not turning to her.

Killua didn't see it but Mizuki shook her head. "No, I figured it out on my own."

"When and how?" Killua's voice was tight, controlling himself not to lose his cool.

"Recently, actually," she replied calmly. "I've had speculations earlier, but I confirmed my theory a couple days ago."

When Killua didn't speak, the shape-shifter continued. "Someone mentioned your last name, Zoldyck, saying that was the name of the infamous family of assassins. In addition, I heard that the only people with hair as white as yours could only be in the Zoldyck bloodline.

"The most prominent clue is the smell of blood on you. I was wary of you the first time we met because of that, but not anymore."

At the statement of blood on him, Killua chuckled with a bitter tone. He held his hand in front of his face, flexing his fingers. Flashes of blood coupled with screams filled his thoughts.

"I was afraid of that, you know," he commented forlornly. "Even though I gave up being an assassin a long time ago, I was always scared that the blood of the people I killed would remain on me."

He clenched his hand into a tight fist. "Gon never said anything so I assumed the scent wasn't on me anymore, but I guess he either didn't want to say anything or doesn't know himself."

Mizuki twisted her head to Killua, a saddened expression etched on his face. She sent a gentle smile at him.

"It's not that bad," the girl said with reassurance. "The scent is very faint that I can barely pick it up from time to time."

Killua lightly scoffed but his lips quirked up a bit. The compliment didn't do much to cheer him up but he appreciated the effort.

The teen gulped, his adam's apple bobbing nervously. "Now that you know, are you terrified of me?"

Mizuki replied with another question. "Do you still kill people?"

"No," he firmly stated, no hesitation in his voice.

"Then no. I'm not terrified of you. If you don't kill people now, then your past doesn't matter to me. All that matters is that you decided to change on your own accord, right?"

Killua turned his head to her, and was graced by a bright smile. Heat spread across his cheeks as it reminded him of Gon's grin.

He twisted his head away. "Y-yeah," he stuttered.

"Then you have no worries about me running away from you anytime soon," Mizuki smirked at him.

She easily curled up into a ball in her seat and shut her eyes, a yawn coming from her mouth. "Good night, Killua."

Killua's heart raced as he watched her fall into a peaceful slumber. His mind self was jumping in happiness now that Mizuki knew his secret and wasn't deterred by him at all. His lips stretched into a happy grin as he gazed at her and Gon endearingly.

 _I don't know how, but I'm glad that I have amazing friends like you two,_ he thought.

He rested his cheek against the cool window and closed his eyelids, going into a still sleep with the presence of his best friends warming his heart and soul.

* * *

They landed in Padokea the next morning and took a train to the nearest stop closest to the jungle. Killua looked out the window and a small smile graced his face when his eyes zoned in a tall mountain.

"Mizuki, come here for a second," he called out.

Almost instantly, she appeared by his side, wiping her mouth of pastry crumbs. "Yeah, what is it?"

Killua pointed out the window to the mountain. "You see that mountain? That's Kukuroo Mountain, where my family lives, and they own the landscape around it too."

Mizuki awed at the magnificent natural structure. "Sugoi! It's beautiful. It must be amazing living on top of a mountain."

The former assassin shrugged his shoulder nonchalantly. "It was okay, but it was always a hassle climbing up and down. Took me an hour each time."

"Do you miss your home and family?" Mizuki asked.

Killua smiled brightly. "Not at all. As far as I know, my family is dead to me."

His eyes softened a moment after. "All except Alluka, and maybe Kalluto, my younger sisters."

"Matte Killua."

The teens twisted their heads to Gon when they heard his muffled speech. He quickly swallowed the food in one gulp and spoke clearly.

"You told Mizuki that you used to be an assassin," Gon questioned his friend.

Killua nodded. "Actually, she figured it out on her own. We discussed it last night while you were asleep."

"And you're okay with that, Mizuki?" Gon asked his sister, a touch of wariness painting his face.

She bobbed her chin firmly. "Yeah! Killua's too nice and sweet in order for me to leave him now."

Gon grinned when he saw his friend's pale cheeks turn light pink at Mizuki's declaration. Her loyalty to Killua was as strong as his, and he admired that.

The train steered away from the massive rock and continued toward Chaotic Jungle. The vehicle stopped at a nearby town and the teens departed there to speak to the client. They spoke to him, talking about possible locations of where the treasure could be and the amount of pay each of them would receive upon completing the task. Once that was set, the group was off to the jungle. But not before they ate a hearty lunch.

Killua rubbed his head as he sat on a restaurant table with his friends, waiting for their orders.

"Didn't you two just eat like twenty minutes ago," he asked, pointing his eyes at Gon and Mizuki exasperatedly.

Gon grinned back. "Yeah, but they were snacks. Not enough to fill my stomach."

"Besides, you haven't eaten anything Killua," Mizuki added.

"I don't necessarily need to eat as often as you two," he answered, "but I need the energy for the mission."

The food came after a few minutes, a huge plate of spaghetti shared between them. They gobbled it down hastily, paid for the meal, and walked to the jungle.

Mizuki skipped ahead of the boys, eager going on her first mission. They all strolled through dense foliage, stepping on the moist, enriched soil. Exotic animals called out above from the canopy. The Hunters were currently heading to one area where the jaguar jewel was supposedly to be.

"Are you excited for your first mission, Mizuki?" Gon asked, enthusiasm laced in his tone.

The shape-shifter practically performed a pirouette when she turned to her friends, a wide grin gracing her features. "I'm more than excited, Nii-chan! I'm brimming with so much energy, I could explode!"

He chuckled heartily and Killua smirked in response.

"Oh, by the way, Kurapika told me is a Blacklist Hunter," Mizuki brought up. "Do you two have a specific career in the Hunter Association?"

Gon glanced to Killua. "No, we pretty much do every kind of request out there. That's why we are Single Star Hunters."

"Do you have any idea on what type of career you want to pursue later, Mizuki?" asked Killua.

The female teen grew thoughtful. "I don't have any clue since I just started, but maybe in the future, I'll decide something."

The young Hunters reached the destination and began their search. Mizuki transformed into a puma and tried to sniff out the relic. They separated into different directions, finding clues for the whereabouts of the item. The teens reconvened in an hour at the same spot they left.

"Any luck with you guys?" Killua questioned his companions.

Gon shook his spiky head. "No, I couldn't find a single thing."

"Me either," Mizuki replied, back in her human form. "I asked the animals, and they said they didn't see the jewel around here."

Killua sighed and crossed his arms over his chest. "At least we know that it's not here. Let's move on to the next area."

"Hai!" Gon and Mizuki chorused.

Something pricked the back of Mizuki's neck. She slapped her hand over the spot in disgust. "Ewww, gross mosquitoes."

"Daijobu?" Gon asked Mizuki.

"Yeah, I just got bit by a bug," she replied, waving off his concern.

The teens continued with their search. Gradually, Mizuki started getting a weird feeling in her stomach. She brushed it off as a small stomachache, but it got worse in seconds. A nauseous feeling pricked at the back of her throat. She stopped her walking altogether and clutched her stomach.

Killua noticed her still form and turned to her with concern when he caught her grimace. "Mizuki, are you alright?"

She gulped audibly as her forehead started feeling hot and sweaty. "I don't feel so good."

Suddenly, her stomach lurched and Mizuki's hands flew to her mouth to prevent the food from coming up, but the urge was too strong. She hunched over and threw up her lunch on the ground. Killua was at her side in an instant, holding her by the waist when she nearly fell over.

Mizuki opened her mouth to thank him but instead of words, another round of vomit escaped.

Gon ran to them, worry and shock crossing his face when he saw his sister retching and Killua's frightened expression.

"What happened?!" he asked Killua.

The former assassin madly shook his head, confused as well. "I don't know! She said she wasn't feeling well then she started throwing up."

Killua rubbed her back when Mizuki receded to dry heaves, all of her stomach contents empty. The exhaustion caught up to her, making her lean heavily against Killua, panting harshly and sweating profusely.

He shifted her into his arms and placed his hand on her forehead. Killua hissed as he swiftly removed his hand.

"What's wrong now," Gon inquired shakily.

"She's burning up fast," the former assassin replied.

Killua was freaking out. His female friend grew really sick in seconds and he had no inkling what to do.

Luckily, Gon remained relatively calm and came up with a solution. He gasped as his brain thought of the cause of their friend's sickness.

"She's poisoned," he said quietly.

Killua whirled his head to Gon in astonishment. "What? How?"

"I don't know, but the poison is spreading fast if she's already like this." Gon turned. "Carry her and follow me. I saw some basil leaves near a river."

He dashed ahead, keeping in Killua's sight. Killua held Mizuki close to him and ran after Gon, careful not to jostle her too much and spread the poison faster.

The white-haired teen gazed down when he heard Mizuki moan in pain. Her eyelids fluttered open and she saw Killua's blurry form.

"Killua," she groaned softly, "I feel… like my… body is on… fire."

"I know," he replied calmly. "Just hang on a bit longer. We're finding some medicine for you."

Mizuki could only groan in response and shut her eyes, resting her head against his cool chest.

Killua looked up when he heard the sound of rushing water. A river came into view, and Gon knelt near the bank, sifting through the foliage for medicinal herbs. Killua knelt down as well, carefully shifting Mizuki into a more comfortable position.

Gon plucked some basil leaves and shoved them into Mizuki's mouth. "Mizuki, I need you to chew on these," he demanded loud enough for her to hear through her muddled brain. "It will lower your fever."

When the leaves touched her lips, Mizuki instinctively opened her mouth and chewed. A grimace crossed her face at the bitter taste, but she swallowed the leaves and juices.

Once Gon was certain she consumed everything, he quickly found ipecac and fed that to her too.

"What's that," asked Killua.

"It's ipecac," Gon answered. "It will get rid of some of the poison."

Gon gave her water to down the bitter taste in her mouth and get the herbs to work faster.

The boys watched her patiently to see Mizuki's progress. Slowly, her panting slowed and she stopped sweating. Killua placed his hand back on her forehead and sighed in relief.

"Her fever's gone down," he reported to Gon. "Looks like those herbs worked excellently."

Gon smiled but he had an uncertain look. "She's stable for now but I still think she's poisoned. If I'm remembering correctly, Leorio should be in that town where we talked to our client. He'll be able to fully heal her."

Killua nodded, picking up Mizuki's sleeping form. "I agree. We'll put this mission on hold for now until she's better."

The boys nodded their heads and raced back to civilization to find Leorio's place. Gon recalled that his doctor friend was staying at a small house in the town while assisting in a medical research project. They ran to his temporary home and Gon rapped on the front door frantically.

The older male's voice was heard loudly through the wooden barrier. "Oi, oi, hold your horses!" Leorio called out in an annoyed tone. "I'm coming!"

He opened the door with a scowl but it quickly shifted to a smile when he recognized his younger companions.

"Gon! Killua! I didn't except to see you two so soon."

His eyes fell down to Mizuki sleeping in Killua's arms. He noticed that her cheeks were a bit pale.

"What's wrong with Mizuki?" Leorio inquired with concern.

Killua got straight to the point. "She was poisoned earlier."

At Leorio's shocked expression, Gon continued. "I gave her some herbal remedies for the poison, but I still think some of the toxins are in her system. That's why we came to you."

Leorio switched to his doctor mode. A professional look crossed his face. "All right, bring her to the guest room."

He swiveled around and led the boys to the guest room. Killua laid Mizuki on the bed while Leorio dashed to his room to grab his briefcase. He returned and unclasped it, taking out a clear bottle filled with small, round black balls.

Leorio shook out a couple into his hand and spoke to Mizuki loud enough for her to snap out of her slumber. "Mizuki, can you hear me?"

The girl groaned and slowly opened her eyes, but could only do it halfway. She twisted her head to Leorio with strain.

"Is that you, Leorio?" she softly asked.

"Yes. I'm going to give you some edible charcoal to swallow. It will absorb the rest of the poison in your body."

All of the words that went through her ears were jumbled, but she heard the gist of what the doctor said.

Mizuki nodded. "Okay."

Leorio held his hand in front of Mizuki's mouth and she swallowed the spheres. She fell asleep right after. All the boys sighed in relief collectively.

"She should be fine in a few hours," Leorio explained, sitting back on a chair. "You were wise, Gon, on giving her medicine early. If you didn't give her any…"

The young doctor trailed off, leaving his sentence hanging in the air. Gon and Killua cringed at the prospect of almost losing their female friend.

"How did she get poisoned in the first place?" Leorio questioned Killua and Gon. "Was it from something she ate?"

"No, it couldn't have been," Killua answered, shaking his head. "We all ate from the same plate. I wouldn't be able to tell since I'm immune to all poisons."

"And I would've tasted something funny if that were the case," Gon inserted. He glanced to Mizuki. "I'm pretty sure Mizuki would have noticed something off as well."

The former assassin folded his arms, a thoughtful expression on his face. "She was probably bit by that bug in Chaotic Jungle."

Gon shook his head, eyes narrowed in intense concentration. "I don't think so. We've been there before, and there are no venomous animals in that jungle."

He stood up and walked to the door. "I'm going back to the jungle and find out what actually caused Mizuki's illness. Watch her for me while I'm gone."

"Always," Killua whispered under his breath as Gon closed the door behind him.

The white-haired teen sat on the chair Gon occupied seconds ago and kept a silent vigil over Mizuki, keeping his eyes on her serene face. He vaguely remembered Leorio sitting directly across from him, but his focus was on Mizuki until Gon returned.

* * *

Running back to the jungle, Gon quickly picked up on Mizuki's scent and followed it to the area where he remembered her saying she was bitten. Her scent was somewhat faint but the islander made it out from the other numerous smells in the air.

He reached the location thirty minutes later and investigated the area. Gon checked the trees to see if any of the branches were out of place, to indicate if anybody perched on them. They looked normal to him so his eyes drifted to the ground. The tan teen got on his hands and knees, sniffing the ground like a dog.

His honey brown eyes fell on a small, feathered dart with a thin needle. He picked it up with two fingers and sniffed it. Along with Mizuki's scent, there was another smell mixed with hers on the dart, a familiar scent he recognized.

He gasped sharply, a cold shiver running down his spine. "Oh no."

Gon grasped the dart tightly in his hand and ran back to Leorio's temporary home swiftly. The front door was left unlocked, so Gon let himself in.

He walked into the guest room. "I'm back. How is Mizuki?"

Leorio looked up and smiled at the tan teen. "Welcome back. Yeah, she's fine. I took some of her blood for testing earlier, and it's almost clean. I gave her an extra charcoal to absorb the remainder of the toxins."

Killua twisted his head to Gon. "Did you find anything?"

Gon's lips turned into a grimace. "Yeah. I was right when I said Mizuki wasn't poisoned by an animal." He held out the poisoned dart. "She was poisoned by this."

Killua and Leorio leaned in to get a better look at the object.

"So someone poisoned Mizuki on purpose?" Killua questioned, his eyes narrowed dangerously.

"Yes," Gon responded, "but that's not all. I recall the scent that's on the dart. Killua, do you remember the doctor that we captured a couple of years ago?"

Killua's orbs drifted upward in thought then it hit him. "You mean Dr. Richardson?!"

Leorio jolted up in shock, his glasses nearly falling off his face. "Dr. Richardson?! You mean _the_ Dr. Richardson?" he repeated.

The tan teen sent a confused a look to the young doctor. "Yeah, do you know him?"

"Not personally, but he made famous news in the medical field at the time." Leorio clenched his fists tightly. "He would kill his patients, playing it off as them naturally dying and still get a lot of money."

"I thought he was in prison though?" Leorio added.

"Well obviously, he escaped and found us," Killua muttered to himself.

"What I don't understand is why he targeted Mizuki and not you two," Leorio asked. "I mean you two were the ones who put him in jail."

Killua stayed silent so Gon replied. "He probably went for her to get vengeance on us by killing her."

The room grew fairly silent, the only sound was Mizuki's soft snoozes. Suddenly, Killua stood up and stalked to the door, a dark aura wafting from him.

Gon gazed after him curiously. "Killua, where are you going?"

The former assassin gripped the doorknob, not turning to his friend. "What does it look like? I'm going after that homicidal doctor."

Just as he twisted the knob, Gon's voice stopped him.

"Matte, Killua!" Gon shouted. "I know what you're feeling right now. You're feeling enraged and I am too for Richardson almost killing Mizuki. But please, don't kill him. You've changed, remember? Don't be the assassin you used to be, and Mizuki will discover if you kill him." He added the last part as an incentive.

"Don't worry Gon, I won't kill him," Killua lowly spoke. A shadow loomed over his blue orbs. "But I will give him a fate worse than death."

After that foreboding note, Killua stepped out, leaving his friends with Mizuki.

When a few seconds passed, Leorio sighed, not realizing he was holding his breath. "Glad that he's on our side," he commented, a drop of sweat trailing down his face.

Gon only hummed in response, staring after Killua's form. He had faith that his friend won't kill the doctor but was certain that Killua was going to beat Richardson within an inch of his life.

* * *

And Gon was on point with Killua's thoughts. All that was running through the former assassin's mind was finding Dr. Richardson and beat him to death once he got his hands on the man. He contemplated ignoring Gon's words and killing the doctor anyways. It was only fair that he should die for almost murdering Mizuki, but his friend's words kept Killua in check. He didn't want to disappoint Mizuki after saying just yesterday that he wasn't a killer anymore.

With his hands deep in his pockets, Killua roamed the streets in a seemingly random pattern, when in actuality, he was observing the surroundings to find any clues of the doctor's whereabouts. His instincts told him that he was most likely in the same town as they were in.

When he couldn't find anything topside, Killua decided to head underground, specifically the sewers. His gut feeling grew stronger the deeper he went as he blended with the shadows silently.

Finally, he heard a familiar voice around the corner. Killua peeked out and spotted the doctor muttering to himself, his back facing him. The white-haired teen's hands itched to form into claws but restrained himself. He inhaled deeply then exhaled.

Killua emerged from the shadows. "Look at what I found."

Richardson jumped in the air and whirled around to Killua. His eyes stretched wide at his figure.

"Wah! Killua!" His eyes darted everywhere but the teen. "How… how did you find me?"

"That's not your concern," the former assassin growled, stalking threateningly to the doctor. "All that matters is that you almost killed someone precious to me, and I am here to repay that debt."

His hands crackled with electricity. "You're lucky that I can't kill you, but I will make sure that you won't hurt my friend ever again."

The sewers echoed with a scream and cracks of electricity.

* * *

Mizuki groaned softly and opened her eyes to slits. Her eyes showed that she was lying on a comfortable bed, the covers reaching all the way up to her neck. The room she was in was bathed in sunset orange through an open window. She carefully shifted her head to the sides and saw Leorio and Gon sitting on chairs on either side of her, their bodies slumped over as they slept.

The shape-shifter narrowed her eyes as she tried to remember what happened. She growled under her breath when nothing surfaced.

 _Why can't I recall anything clearly? All I can gather is haziness and muffled thoughts. I remember seeing and talking to Nii-chan and Killua but not exactly what I or they said._

Mizuki lifted herself up, leaning her back against the bed headboard. She gently shook Gon's knee. "Nii-chan, wake up."

Gon's eyelids flittered before opening fully. He groaned, feeling stiff pain in his neck for sleeping awkwardly, but it immediately disappeared when he saw Mizuki.

He sat up straight, a bright grin greeting his sister. "Mizuki, you're awake!"

Gon's cry of joy awoke Leorio. He yawned loudly, adjusting the glasses that nearly fell off his face. The doctor grinned at Mizuki sleepily.

"Welcome back to the land of the living, Mizuki."

She smiled back. "Hello, Leorio." Mizuki looked to her two friends with a puzzled look. "Can you guys tell me what happened?"

"You don't know?" questioned Gon.

"All I remember is getting sick and the rest is all fuzzy."

"You were poisoned by a poisoned dart from a criminal Killua and I arrested a couple of years ago," Gon summarized. "I quickly gave you some medicinal herbs then we brought you to Leorio to completely get rid of the poison."

The tan teen placed his hand on Mizuki's, his brown irises lowering. "Killua and I were so worried and scared that we were going to lose you."

Mizuki's lips softened as she heard Gon's voice crack a bit. "I'm sorry for worrying all of you," she apologized sincerely. "And I'm sorry for failing my first mission."

Gon shook his head. "You shouldn't be apologizing, I should be. Killua and I should have sensed the doctor but he somehow evaded our senses and got you." He shot his sister a toothy grin. "Also, don't worry about the mission. I'm just grateful you're alive and healthy."

Mizuki smiled back cheerfully but it fell a bit when she noticed that there wasn't a sign of white hair or blue eyes. "Where's Killua?"

Gon and Leorio glanced to one another at Mizuki's question. They didn't know where the former assassin went, but they knew what he was doing. The men were reluctant to tell her, but she at least deserved to know.

Gon opened his mouth to answer but the door swinging open interrupted him. They all turned and saw Killua entering with his chin tilted down.

A sunny grin stretched across Mizuki's lips. "Killua!" she called out happily.

He raised his head up at his name and a small smirk graced his features when his eyes laid on Mizuki.

He strolled to the bed. "Hey, Mizuki. You're up. How do you feel?"

"I feel so much better thanks to Leorio," she replied then cocked her head to the side. "Where were you?"

Killua canted his head in a coy manner. "Why, did you miss me?"

"Yes," Mizuki responded bluntly.

A blush coated his cheeks at her statement. Her big green orbs were locked on his, nothing but pure honesty in them.

He quickly shook it off and chuckled. "Just taking care of business."

Gon didn't smell any blood on Killua's person so he internally sighed in relief. He had complete faith in his friend that he wouldn't revert to his old ways.

"What's that you got there," Mizuki said, pointing at a plastic bag that Killua was carrying.

He remembered his package and held it up. "I thought I should stop by a bakery and grab a chocolate cake for you to brighten your mood. I wanted to eat some, but you should get first bite."

Mizuki instantly perked up as Killua handed her a small square box. "Thank you Killua!"

Leorio observed the pair with interest. Killua never gave up sweets, especially chocolate, but he willingly bought one for Mizuki and didn't eat it beforehand. The doctor glanced to Gon to find an answer for the white-haired teen's peculiar behavior, but the tan teen only gazed back at him with a small, knowing grin as if he knew what was going on between Mizuki and Killua.

It clicked in Leorio's head when he gazed at the two again and a similar smirk appeared on his face. The both of them remained silent as Killua and Mizuki ate the chocolate cake together.

* * *

 **I am well aware that Alluka and Kalluto are both boys, but they look feminine in the anime so they are girls in my story. Anyway, sorry again for my poor updating. Thank you all for still sticking with me. Review please!**


	9. Hisoka Encounter

**Hey everybody! I'm sorry that I took so long to update. I had a chance to write during Christmas break but I had family over my house constantly, so I had to spend time with them. I didn't even have a chance to pick up a pen. Anyway, I hope all of you had a wonderful holiday break. With that out of the way, here's the next chapter!**

 **P.S Have you guys checked out the new anime Yuri! on Ice? If you haven't, I highly recommend watching it if you like figure skating.**

* * *

"What's in it for me if I join your group?" a young man questioned the stranger, his arms crossed tersely.

"You'll get paid for the huge bounty on their heads for one thing," the stranger responded with a smirk. "You'll be sitting pretty for the rest of your life. And when we defeat them, we'll be the new top dogs."

The young man's eyes lit up at the thought of being rich beyond his wildest dreams. He grinned back. "Then I'm definitely in!"

The figure held out his hand for the man to shake. "Excellent choice. Welcome to the Spider Wasps."

Two people hid in the shadows as they silently observed the newest recruit from afar. A smile grew on the face of a woman with fuchsia hair. She turned to her leader. "Looks like we have another member to our team, sir. At this rate, we will be more powerful than the Phantom Troupe."

The leader, Suzaku, nodded his head. "Yes, it won't be long now."

Suzaku reverted to his inner thoughts. _I will get my revenge on you soon, Chrollo. Just you wait._

* * *

Mizuki was better than ever after the poison was finally out of her system. Saying thanks to Leorio once again, she, Gon, and Killua continued their mission of finding the Jaguar Jewel. They found the treasure hidden in a ravine within the hour they resumed their search.

They brought it back to the client, Mizuki profusely apologizing for delaying the job longer than necessary. The client waved off her apologies and still paid them the full amount. Once that was done, the teens immediately signed up for another job: escort an important client's son to a conference meeting.

They immediately took the train to the location, a city called Minami, and booked a hotel room for a few days so they can have a chance to explore before the mission.

The teens strolled through a nearby nature trail, enjoying the sounds and sights of nature. Mizuki was behind the boys, her eyes gazing up at the trees when all of a sudden, she sensed a menacing presence ahead of them. It only lasted for an instant but she caught it. Her instincts screamed at her to run away as fast as she could, but she was completely paralyzed. Her feet remained rooted and she trembled as her blood ran cold.

Mizuki looked to Gon and Killua to see if they had the same reaction, but they kept on moving without a care in the world. The shape-shifter panicked. The aura was up ahead and very powerful; how could they not sense it?

They were getting close to the presence, so Mizuki forced her mouth to move. "Gon, Killua! Stop!"

The boys stopped short at her desperate yell. They turned to her in surprise as well when Mizuki called Gon by his name instead of Nii-chan.

"What's wrong Mizuki?" Killua asked, noticing the sweat on her forehead.

"Don't you guys sense that powerful aura?" she asked them, her teeth chittering slightly.

Gon and Killua, at her uneasiness, used En to find the aura but couldn't find anything.

"I don't feel anything," Gon responded. "What does the presence feel like?"

"I… I can't really describe it, but it's very disturbing like the aura of a psychopath."

At her description, the male teens were on high alert, hair raised. In an instant, they rushed in front of Mizuki protectively in their battle stances. They stood so close to each other that the shape-shifter couldn't see in front of her.

Killua shouted out. "Whoever you are, come on out now!"

 _Could it really be him?_

Silence enveloped the area for a few seconds as the teens waited with bated breath for something to happen. Then, someone slowly stepped out from behind a tree. Mizuki saw the muscles in Gon and Killua's necks tense up when the person fully revealed themselves.

"Hisoka," Killua growled.

Gon spoke softly under his breath to Mizuki, knowing her heightened hearing would pick up his words. "Mizuki, stay quiet."

She nodded her head though Gon couldn't see it. She listened to the confrontation silently, not daring to move a single muscle.

"Well, if it isn't Gon and Killua," Hisoka spoke with a friendly and perverted undertone.

His eyes subtly assessed the young men before him. Hisoka mentally approved of their progression. Gon and Killua have grown so much, both physically and in Nen strength. He wanted to fight them so badly after not seeing them in a few years, but restrained himself. They still had some potential left, so he will wait longer.

"What are you doing here, Hisoka?" Killua asked with gritted teeth.

"Can I not see how my two favorite boys are faring?" the clown Hunter questioned, the sweetness of his voice too sweet.

Killua growled more, his entire body tense like a coiled spring. "All of us know that that's not the reason you're here."

Hisoka replied with a hum. He then looked in the space between Gon and Killua's heads where he knew their new friend was.

"Who is that behind you two," Hisoka asked. "A new friend of yours?"

Mizuki flinched back and the boys tightened even closer. "None of your business!" Killua barked out, resembling a huffy kitten.

Hisoka tsked, wagging his finger. "It's no good hiding her from me. You might as well let me see her, or would you rather I go to you?"

The former assassin clicked his teeth but reluctantly conceded. If Hisoka got the first move, Mizuki would end up seriously hurt or dead. With a glance to Gon, Killua took a step to the side revealing Mizuki.

She gulped audibly as she stepped forward, immediately creeped out by the clown Hunter. A shiver raced down her spine as she felt his eyes scrutinize her intensely.

Hisoka spoke to her. "What is your name, little girl?"

Mizuki glanced to her friends to see if it was alright to speak to him. At their nods, she answered quietly. "Mizuki."

Hisoka oohed. "What a cute name for a cute girl. I can tell that you possess powerful Nen so you must be a Specialist. Very nice."

"I can't wait to fight you so keep up your training, Mizuki." The clown turned the other way, waving over his shoulder. "Well, I'll leave you kids be. We'll meet again soon."

"Good riddance," Gon mumbled.

Hisoka stopped mid-step. A sweatdrop formed on Gon's face when he thought the elder Hunter heard him but he didn't.

"Oh, I should warn you Mizuki," Hisoka said over his shoulder. "You would do well to keep your guard up. There are people searching for Specialists to join their gang, so watch your back."

On that note, he continued walking. The teens didn't move for a few minutes even when Hisoka disappeared. They simultaneously sighed in relief when they were certain he wasn't coming back.

Mizuki shivered. "I never want to see him again. He gives me the major creeps." She twisted her head to Gon and Killua. "Who was that guy? He obviously knows you two."

Killua still seemed too frustrated to respond so Gon answered instead. "That was Hisoka. He's a dangerous Hunter who only wants to fight other powerful Hunters. We met him during our first Hunter Exam and several times afterwards."

"Too many than I'd like to count," mumbled Killua.

"Has he fought you two before?" Mizuki questioned.

"Only me at Heaven's Arena," Gon replied. "But the worst thing about Hisoka is that he kills the opponents he faces as a way of proving to himself that he's strong."

"And now you're on his list Mizuki," Killua inserted, arms crossed. "He sensed your Nen strength and now he'll be pursuing you until he deems you strong enough to battle against then kill you."

His stance softened as he let out a sigh and looked to Mizuki with soft blue eyes. "I'm sorry, Mizuki. We tried to avoid any contact of Hisoka to you, but now he'll constantly be on the lookout for you."

Mizuki grinned and placed her hand on his forearm. "It's okay, Killua. You did your best to protect me but it was inevitable. Actually, even though Hisoka made me scared, I also feel excited. He's just an obstacle I have to overcome and I will take it head-on."

Killua gaped at the shape-shifter's determined visage then shook his head, a smile on his lips. "Of course you'd be optimistic about this. Whatever you say."

"Let's head back to the hotel," Gon suggested.

At his friends' nods, they turned back the way they came from.

"I'm still upset though," Killua commented, his hands clenched tightly. "Gon and I couldn't sense Hisoka at all. If you hadn't sensed him Mizuki, we would be dead in a blink of an eye."

"Yeah, how did you sense him Mizuki?" Gon asked his sister. "He was obviously using In but you managed to still pinpoint him. How did you do that?"

"To be honest, I couldn't sense him either," Mizuki responded. "I barely did, but I still detected his natural aura."

"Natural aura?" repeated Killua.

Mizuki nodded. "Yes. It resembled the aura of a predator that can't quite mask their scent no matter how hard they try."

"Sugoi," the former assassin awed at his female friend. "That's very impressive, Mizuki."

She blushed at the compliment. "I can tell easily because I shift into a wolf often and my mentor is a wolf."

"Another thing is bothering me," Killua brought up. "Hisoka said that there is a group of Specialists joining together. Why would he tell us that?"

"Maybe because he wants to fight Mizuki first before they do," Gon suggested.

"Knowing him, most likely."

"In any case," Mizuki said, "I need to be more careful, so we should be thankful to him for that at least."

* * *

 **And that's it for now! I hope I portrayed Hisoka as well as he is in the anime. I apologize again for taking so long with this. Thank you all for your support.**

 **Review please!**


	10. Showdown

**Hey everybody! I am so sorry that I haven't been updating this story as much as I want to. It's summer vacation for me right now but I have an internship and studying for a standardized exam. A lot of important stuff are happening in my life right now and that has stopped me from writing. Luckily, you guys have this chapter but I honestly don't know when the next one is coming. Don't worry, I haven't given up on this story. You guys just have to be patient. Anyway, enjoy!**

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The teens were successful in their escort mission and traveled around a bit, doing odd jobs here and there. The boys showed Mizuki all kinds of aspects of the different cultures they encountered from different foods to the customs. She enjoyed every minute of learning about the outside world, but it was more enjoyable to spend it with her two closest friends.

They decided to take a break from doing Hunter missions and rented a room in an inn at a fairly large town. Gon and Killua were going to show Mizuki a beautiful waterfall around the area.

She was browsing at a local farmer's market, searching for ingredients to cook dinner for her and the boys in the evening. Mizuki was contemplating whether to buy rice or vegetables as a side dish when she sensed a couple of presences behind her. She turned around and saw a man and a woman around their mid-20s staring at her.

The shape-shifter gave them a puzzled look. "Can I help you two with something?"

The man responded. "Sorry for staring but my partner and I were wondering something. We sensed your aura and wanted to know if you are a Specialist?"

Mizuki's body minutely tensed at the question. "Yes?" she replied with uncertainty.

"What's your ability?" the woman asked.

Mizuki instantly grew stiff, her instincts screaming at her to get away from these people. Her voice grew tense. "I'm sorry but I can't tell you. It's a secret."

The people heard the finality in her tone so they didn't press any further. The man shrugged. "That's fine, we just wanted to confirm if you were a Specialist. Anyway, we wanted to ask if you would like to join our group. There are other Specialists like us."

 _This must be the group Hisoka warned me about,_ Mizuki thought to herself.

"I heard about your group before," said Mizuki. "But I would have to decline."

"Oh, we're not asking," the woman threatened, her aura flaring. "Our boss asked us to recruit any Specialists by force if necessary."

Mizuki's eyes narrowed, her own Nen flaring. "Well, if you want me, then you have to beat me."

They stared each other down, waiting to see who would make the first move. A dramatic breeze blew around them. When it settled, all three of them moved simultaneously, clashing in the middle.

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"Ahhh," Gon groaned loudly. "Where is Mizuki with our food? I'm starving." His stomach growled noisily in emphasis.

Killua rolled his eyes, an amused smirk on his lips. "She must still be at the market. We can help her carry back the groceries and you can grab a quick snack to eat."

Gon beamed at his friend. "Hai!"

A few seconds later, they stopped short when they heard a loud crash in the distance. They looked up and saw a plume of smoke rise into the sky.

Killua's arms that were held behind his head fell to his sides. "That looks like it's coming from the market!"

Gon's honey brown eyes widened. "Mizuki!"

The teens quickly ran to that direction. They skidded to a halt as people frantically ran away from the marketplace. Gon managed to grab onto a shopkeeper's shoulder.

"Oi, what's going on?" Gon questioned.

"A major fight just broke out between three people!" the man responded. "They are destroying everything!"

"Did you see what they look like?" Killua inserted. He was very concerned that Mizuki might be involved.

"I only saw a glimpse but I saw a girl with long brown hair and purple tattoos fighting two other people. I suggest you boys get away from here before you get hurt."

Gon let the man go. "It is Mizuki and she's in trouble!"

"She also can't use her Hatsu or else she'll reveal her heritage," Killua added. "She's practically defenseless."

"Let's go!"

The teens nodded firmly at each other then ran to assist their female companion.

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When the battle started, a large vine erupted from the ground and smacked Mizuki to the side. The shapeshifter held up her arms in a cross position and boosted her Ren to protect herself in time. The male then dug his hands into the earth, causing the ground to shake. Mizuki tumbled to the floor and almost sunk into a suddenly formed quicksand, but she back flipped out of it.

She had a moment of reprieve so she gazed at her surroundings. Thankfully, everybody that was in the marketplace managed to escape before any major harm could be done to them. The shops and stalls didn't make it though. All kinds of food products were scattered everywhere, not salvageable anymore.

The female teen saw sudden movement from her peripheral, evading a random rock shooting at her at high speeds. She didn't make it completely unscathed though. The rock managed to leave a clean cut across her cheek.

 _This is bad,_ Mizuki thought as she tried to attack them head on. _They have the advantage to use their Hatsu but I can't. Not without revealing my clan's abilities. I really wished I didn't depend so much on it._

Mizuki hit them a couple of times but she was immediately pushed back. She ran a hand across her face to wipe off some blood.

 _I need help._

Just when the adults were going to attack her again, they were hit from behind. They turned to strike back the figures stood protectively in front of Mizuki.

A grin grew on her lips. "Nii-chan! Killua!"

The former assassin glanced to Mizuki and saw no major injuries on her, just scratches. He internally sighed in relief.

He turned his attention back to the Specialists. "Mizuki, daijobu? Who are these guys?"

"I'm fine," she answered. "These two are Specialists. I believe they a part of that group that Hisoka warned us about. They asked me to join but I refused, then they attacked me."

Gon angrily glared at Mizuki's attackers. "If my friend doesn't want to join you, then leave her be! If not, then you have to fight all of us!"

The older man chuckled. "Fine with us."

Everybody went all out in the fight, causing more destruction, but the Specialists were losing to the Hunters slowly.

"This is a waste of time," the woman complained to her partner.

"Yeah, let's let her go," he agreed swiftly. "She's not worth all this drama."

The guy pounded his fist into the ground to produce a large dust cloud, obscuring everybody's visions. The teens covered their eyes to prevent dust from getting into their eyes.

"We'll let you go girl," the man shouted. "You're not worth our time anymore."

Once the dust cleared, the adults were gone.

"Should we go after them?" Gon asked Killua.

Killua shook his head. "No, we won't be able to track them now. And, I have a feeling that they'll leave Mizuki alone from now on."

He turned to his female friend. "Are you really okay?"

"Yes, I'm absolutely fine, Killua." Her smile changed to a frown. "I'm sorry that you guys needed to help me. I should've been able to handle them on my own."

Gon brightly smiled. "It's all right. We understand why you couldn't use your Hatsu."

Mizuki gazed at the marketplace. "Looks like I won't be able to cook dinner for us."

Killua grumbled under his breath when now he lost the opportunity to eat Mizuki's food.

"I know that you guys said that you were going to take me to the waterfall, but can you help me clean up this place instead? It's the least I could do for bringing those people here and destroying part of their town."

"It wasn't your fault this happened, but sure," said Killua. "We'll see the waterfall another time."

So the young Hunters began cleaning up all the discarded food and fixing the shops. The shop owners returned and helped the teens. Once Mizuki explained what happened and apologized, the owners easily forgave her. As a sign of gratitude, one of the owners offered to cook a feast for the teens. Gon, Killua, and Mizuki accepted the offer and ate to their heart's content.

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 **That's all for now. Again, sorry about the slow updates.**

 **Review please!**


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